the bridge can't take this kind of punishment for long. >> knowing that gasoline burns at about 817 degrees and the steel support would resist up to 1,000 degrees we did expect it to collapse at some point in time. >> but the question remains, what exactly will happen when the bridge comes down? >> the gasoline tanker is very unstable, because we didn't know how it was going to react. >> firefighters continue to pour water on the inferno in a vain attempt to get the flames under control. but after 40 minutes of relentless heat, the bridge can't support itself any longer. the steel beams come crashing down on the burning tanker and the remaining gasoline underneath. within seconds a fireball sends flames hundreds of feet into the air. >> well, it was unbelievable to