By Ana Ribeiro
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 11:00 p.m.
Published: Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 11:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 11:09 p.m.
Ninety-eight-degree temperatures scorched Wilmington on Saturday.
As far as the National Weather Service knows, it's never been this hot in Wilmington on June 7; and the aging Wrightsville Beach drawbridge took a hit from it.
"The bridge just got so hot because of the heat today that the metal expanded and the bridge wouldn't open or close," said Officer Matt Holland with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department.
As far as the National Weather Service knows, it's never been this hot in Wilmington on June 7; and the aging Wrightsville Beach drawbridge took a hit from it.
"The bridge just got so hot because of the heat today that the metal expanded and the bridge wouldn't open or close," said Officer Matt Holland with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department.
The issue started at around 2 p.m., and an N.C. Department of Transportation official went to the fire department two hours later asking for help, Holland said. The bridge's position allowed for car traffic, and no one was trapped or hurt, said Holland.
But firefighters had to stop traffic for 30 minutes, between around 4:15 and 4:45 p.m., while they sprayed water on the bridge from a truck, he said; after that, the bridge cooled down and resumed functioning.
Holland said the DOT told him it would try Saturday night to come up with answers as to what happened....
But firefighters had to stop traffic for 30 minutes, between around 4:15 and 4:45 p.m., while they sprayed water on the bridge from a truck, he said; after that, the bridge cooled down and resumed functioning.
Holland said the DOT told him it would try Saturday night to come up with answers as to what happened....
