Backhoe Bursts Into Flames Near Coliseum

A backhoe caught fire Wednesday just north of downtown Spokane while a construction worker was using it to dig holes in the parking lot of the new Veterans Memorial Arena.

Officials said a hydraulic leak started the fire, which heavily damaged the yellow machine. No one was injured. The backhoe was on the southeast corner of Boone and Howard.

Once firefighters put the flames out, fuel started pouring from the machine’s blackened engine. Crews scrambled to catch the liquid with a tarp and prevent it from soaking into the ground.

Construction workers said they tried to get the backhoe operator’s attention when they first saw the flames, but he was too busy digging. Within seconds, heat in the driver’s compartment forced the driver to bail out.

Police closed traffic on Boone between Howard and Washington for more than an hour while crews secured the still-smoking machine.

, DataTimes