Tucson Fire So Hot Construction Cranes Melted: Video

TUCSON, AZ — An overnight fire in Tucson burned so hotly that two construction cranes melted, fire officials said Tuesday. The two-alarm fire at a construction site on East Broadway Boulevard just south of the University of Arizona campus caused more than $1 million damage.

Major portions of a multi-story student housing building still under construction were destroyed in the blaze, which broke out around 2 a.m. No one was injured, but about 30 people in the area were evacuated and are being assisted by the Red Cross, the Tucson Fire Department said.

“Heat from the fire was so intense that nearby buildings, specifically a smaller set of apartments across the street, were evacuated due to concern they would ignite,” the fire department said in a news release. “Quick action from firefighting crews prevented the fire from destroying the apartment building.”

(Get Tucson Patch’s real-time news alerts and free morning newsletters. Like us on Facebook. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app.)

More than 60 firefighters from 17 units battled the blaze for about an hour before bringing it under control. Firefighters remained on the scene well after sunrise Tuesday to monitor any hotspots.

During the fire, the Tucson Fire Department also responded to 48 other individual emergency calls, including a mass-casualty motor vehicle accident on the Prince Road/Interstate 10 bridge that sent four people to the hospital.

Below, see more photos of the fire:

Video and photos courtesy of the Tucson Fire Department