TOPSHAM, Maine — Firefighters extinguished a fire Tuesday afternoon in a tunnel beneath mountains of gravel on a Topsham contractor’s property.
After apparently dousing the flames, firefighters could not enter the tunnel because of a threat posed by propane fumes.
Firefighters arrived soon after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to find heavy black smoke coming from a tunnel at the main facility of Harry C. Crooker & Sons across from the Topsham Fair Mall, Topsham Fire Chief Brian Stockdale said.
The fire, which apparently began on a heavy rubber conveyer belt, was about 100 to 125 feet inside the tunnel, which also contained two open 100-pound propane cylinders, Stockdale said.
Firefighters fought the blaze from outside the tunnel, using hoses emitting long streams of water.
With help from Brunswick firefighters, crews had the fire under control within about 30 minutes.
Stockdale said the fire was not directly near the propane tanks, but they were still a risk.
“There wasn’t a whole lot to burn in the tunnel, and we didn’t want to take a whole lot of risks, especially with the gas,” he said.
As of 4:45 p.m., fumes from the propane tanks kept firefighters from inspecting the tunnel for damage.