Motor malfunction caused crane to catch fire, collapse at Avalon in Alpharetta

A fire that caused a crane to collapse Tuesday morning at a construction site at an outdoor mall in Alpharetta is believed to have been caused by a motor malfunction, authorities said.

Video obtained by Channel 2 Action News captured the moment the crane buckled at the Avalon development.

The blaze sent a plume of black smoke over north Fulton County.

Liana Moran, a spokeswoman for Avalon, told Channel 2 the fire is “presumed to have been a malfunction of the drill crane motor.”

The work site was closed after the fire, but reopened the next day, she said. The crane was disassembled the next day.

The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety said no one was injured. Only one entrance to Avalon was affected.