Ohio River barge fire took 2 hours to knock down due to 'limited access'

A barge fire that prompted an order for Riverside residents to shelter in place late Wednesday afternoon took firefighters two hours to knock down.

According to a Cincinnati Fire Department incident report, crews responded to the 5400 block of River Road around 3:30 p.m. for a report of a barge fire.

They were delayed by a passing train blocking access to the dock area and power lines brought down by the fire.

Due to the extent of the fire, personnel began attacking the fire from the shore and dock. Two fire boats also provided fire suppression from the river.

It took approximately two hours to knock it down, reducing it to hot spots in concealed areas. It took that long because of limited access to the barge.

No hazardous materials were involved, according to Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center's Twitter account. The smoke came from diesel burning.

There were no employees on board the moored barge at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.

Crews continued to monitor the vessel overnight to ensure there were no hot spots and that the fire wouldn't rekindle.

Fire investigators are still determining the cause of the blaze.