GREEN RIVER — Firefighters have been pulled out of the westbound tunnel on Interstate 80 after structural damage to the tunnel was reported, though sources say the tunnel has not collapsed. 

A crash in the tunnel Friday involving multiple vehicles and semitrucks resulted in a fire inside the tunnel. Multiple fatalities have been reported, though an exact number is unknown. 

Steve Core, the communications administrator for the City of Green River, said firefighters were pulled out of the tunnel due to a risk posed by falling concrete. Stephanie Harsha, the Wyoming Department of Transportation District 3’s public relations specialist, said structural damage and falling concrete have been reported inside the tunnel, with both Core and Harsha saying the tunnel has not collapsed. 

Harsha said WYDOT geologists and structural engineers are en route to survey the damage to both the eastbound and westbound tunnels to ensure they’re safe to enter. Core said the engineers will give the Green River Fire Department advice on how best to combat the fire, whether they should use foam or let it burn itself out.

Core said one of the concerns Green River has involves Flaming Gorge Way and the need to slow traffic down. The city is looking at placing temporary traffic lights along Flaming Gorge Way to help better control traffic speeds. Additionally, he said concerns exist about the damage heavy semi-trucks are causing Flaming Gorge Way. The street was built during the 1980s and the additional weight of traffic could impact the street, as well as the cast iron pipes beneath it.