re: #119 stpaulbear

Are there going to be any arrests for storing highly flammable materials underneath an interstate highway? Who’s stuff was it?

Before the arrests, attention turned Friday to the piles of supplies stashed beneath the highway. Russell McMurray, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said his agency owns the property and the material — some of it high-density plastic — had been there as long as 10 or 11 years. He said, however, that it was not combustible and posed no threat in itself.

“It’s no different than having a plastic cup in your cupboard,” McMurray said. “It needs something to ignite.”

Atlanta Fire Chief Joel Baker said he wasn’t sure how hot the fire would have to be to cause the bridge collapse, but said the stored material helped it get there.