The Alaskan Way Viaduct is, slowly but surely, disappearing from Seattle's waterfront. Before it is gone for good, firefighters are making it their playground.
Wednesday morning, Seattle Fire crews could again be found perched atop the viaduct's remains, slicing and torching their way through concrete and rebar.
The training, which began Monday morning, involves jackhammers and blowtorches, granting firefighters a rare opportunity to practice tricky rescue operations. While the focus is on how to be most effective during a major earthquake, it also helps them plan for construction accidents or any kind of building collapse.
"Should something like that happen, this type of training is about as realistic as we could really get, inside the fire department, without actually collapsing a structure itself," Seattle Fire Captain Brian Maier said.