A raging fire beneath the Ballard Bridge late Wednesday sent towering flames licking at the span’s underside and supports until fire crews brought the blaze under control an hour later.

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The bridge was closed by thick smoke at the height of the blaze, and fire officials said it would remain closed until engineers could inspect it for damage and certify that is safe to reopen.

Residents in the area said they were awakened at about 11 p.m. by explosions and bright orange flames leaping from a storage yard located beneath the bridge’s south end.

Thick smoke enveloped the bridge, and visibility was reported to be near zero in the middle of the span before firefighters could bring it under control.

A box truck and a camper were destroyed in the blaze, witnesses said.

There was damage to at least four small boats, some vehicles and wooden pallets inside the storage yard, said Helen Fitzpatrick of the Seattle Fire Department.

Firefighters attacked the blaze from land and from the water, bringing it under control by about midnight.

The cause of the fire was not yet known, Fitzpatrick said.