By Associated Press - Friday, October 7, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Latest on the aftermath of the Liberty Bridge fire in Pittsburgh:

12:45 p.m.

A contractor is disputing the Pittsburgh fire chief’s claims that they didn’t take steps to prevent a fire that shut down the Liberty Bridge for more than three weeks last month.

Joseph B. Fay Co. says they never met with Chief Darryl Jones to discuss the bridge work because the chief sent a representative to a meeting months before construction began. But Fay says they were never told they needed a “hot” work permit. The permit would have required the contractor to have a “fire watcher” present with an extinguisher near any welding or other hazardous work.

Jones says a Sept. 2 fire occurred when welding slag dropped onto flammable plastic piping, which then also caused a construction tarp to burn. Fay acknowledges not having the permit, but says they had the required “fire watcher” and extinguishing equipment that the permit would have required.

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10 a.m.

PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh’s fire chief says a contractor didn’t have a key permit before welding caused plastic pipe and a construction tarp to burn on the Liberty Bridge, which was shut down for 24 days as a result.

Chief Darryl Jones tells KDKA-TV that Joseph B. Fay Co. was supposed to get the “hot” work permit before the Sept. 2 fire that damaged the bridge’s structural steel.

The permit would have required the contractor to have a “fire watcher” present with an extinguisher near any welding or other hazardous work.

Instead, when hot slag dripped onto some PVC pipe, the flammable plastic burned along with the tarp.

Company vice president Jim Wilkinson says the company had a fire watcher, but wouldn’t say if he had an extinguisher or other fire suppression equipment.

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