Dump truck that caught fire on Port Mann Bridge had known mechanical issues: BCHP

We now know more about a vehicle fire that forced lanes to close and caused major delays on the Port Mann Bridge Tuesday afternoon.

The BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) says it was a dump truck that caught fire in the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 near the Port Mann bridge.

Callers to 1130 NewsRadio began reporting the incident just before 3 p.m. DriveBC said the bridge wasn’t fully cleared until 8 p.m. Tuesday night.

At its worst, traffic was backed up through Burnaby and delays reached as far as Vancouver.

In an update Wednesday, the BCHP said both the dump truck and its trailer had serious mechanical issues that likely caused the fire.

“Professional truck maintenance standards are taken very seriously,” said BCHP “Improperly maintained commercial vehicles are not only inconvenient, they put everyone at risk.”

The driver of the dump truck was issued violation tickets for having no insurance on the trailer and “inadequate brakes.” The company that owns the truck has also been issued orders for inspection and repairs.

BCHP says the total cost of the violation tickets, inspections, and subsequent repairs will be in the thousands of dollars.

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