Hotwork Accidents #2
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
Roof Blaze at used Car Showroom
Jun 19 2001
More than 150 people had to be evacuated after fire broke out at a Newcastle car showroom yesterday. The fire started in the roof of Pattersons Used Car Centre on Scotswood Road, Cruddas Park, shortly before 3pm and all 130 members of staff and around 20 customers were evacuated in less than two minutes. No one was injured in the fire, which was caused by sparks igniting roof insulation and timber in the roof. Builders had been cutting metal in the roof. Ten fire appliances and 40 firefighters from all over Tyneside tackled the blaze, which destroyed a 30 metre by 40 metre section of roof to the rear of the premises. The officer in charge at the fire, Station Officer John Hall, said: “The staff raised the alarm straight away and need to be praised for the way they conducted themselves by evacuating the area very promptly in less than two minutes, with no panic and minimum fuss. “The fire was started by the sparks from the builders cutting metal in the roof. Wool insulation caught fire and this led to timber joints in the roof catching alight. “It was a severe fire and while it took more than half an hour to get it under control, we spent almost the next five hours watering the roof, removing the insulation and checking their were no hot spots which could ignite it again.” Ashley Winter, the managing director of Pattersons, said: “The staff all reacted brilliantly and the evacuation of staff and customers went smoothly. “It will be business as usual today. No cars were damaged and I even managed to conclude a deal outside the garage while the fire was under way. Customers have nothing to worry about as no stock was damaged and our workshops were also unaffected by the fire.”
Acetylene torch fire destroys garage
Sunday, June 17, 2001, By Beth Anne Piehl – Staff Writer
A summer garage project apparently sparked a fire that destroyed the Leoni Township garage of Peggy and James McComb on Saturday afternoon. Peggy McComb said her husband was working with an acetylene torch to weld a piece of lawn equipment in the detached garage of their home at 1350 Donnely Road when a fire ignited and destroyed the structure. “I never dreamed it could go so fast,” said a visibly upset Peggy, observing the damage from her driveway. No one was injured in the blaze that occurred about 2:30 p.m. Three dogs and three cats enjoying the outdoors summer day also escaped harm with their people. McComb said thousands of dollars worth of tools, lawn equipment and other items were among the casualties. The fire also did minor damage to the nearby house, including damage to a new $4,000 roof. “We’ve got good insurance. We’ve always made sure of that,” she said. Leoni Township Fire Department Acting Captain Mark Demosiuk said the fire was put out in about 30 minutes. The thick black smoke from the fire was visible from downtown Jackson. Demosiuk explained that acetylene is similar to propane. “It mixes with oxygen and you can use it to cut steel or weld,” he said.
Firefighters battle blaze as city takes lunch
By PHILLIP L. HAMILTON, LubbockOnline
Dark, black smoke billowed over Lubbock’s central business district during the noon hour Friday as firefighters extinguished a rooftop blaze. Initial reports said an air conditioning unit on the roof of a two-story vacant building at 1316 Texas Ave. was responsible for the fire, which quickly spread to tar in the surrounding area. “It’s the tar that made that black smoke,” fire Capt. Thomas Cox said. Subsequent investigation determined that a welding unit, which was being used to apply roofing materials, was responsible for the fire, said Assistant Fire Marshal Ed Henderson. Workers had been using the welding unit earlier in the morning, but were not on the roof at the time of the fire, he said. Firefighters were on the scene by noon and the two-alarm blaze was controlled about 10 minutes later, Fire Department spokesman Mark Ethridge said. Firefighters cut through padlocks on a gate at the front of the building to gain access as hundreds of downtown workers watched during their lunch hours. Firefighters roped off the area and kept onlookers across the street. Amy Garner said employees at U.S. Agriculture Crop Insurance, which is on the second floor of a building next door to the one that caught fire, learned of the blaze on the telephone. The caller was one building off. “The phone rang and some man said, ‘Your building is on fire,’ ” she said. “We thought it was our smoker in the back. We were about to have lunch. We sent someone out there to check on it.” When employees realized there was a fire next door, they went out the front of the building. Derek Reichle, another U.S. Agriculture Crop Insurance employee, said he drove up to the building to attend an office barbecue lunch. “I saw a 10-foot flame and smoke, but I didn’t think anything about it,” he said. “I just thought they were cooking the barbecue.” Cox said four fire units initially responded to the blaze, and three more arrived on the scene after the call went out for additional manpower. At least five engines, including an extension ladder truck, were on the scene. “It was all on top of the building,” Cox said of the fire. Smoke filtered into the third floor of a parking garage west of the burning building. The smoke drifted through the garage and billowed out on 13th Street. That gave the impression that the garage also might be on fire. The fire was contained to the roof and did not cause structural damage, Ethridge said. Henderson estimated the damage to the building at about $5,000. “There were no injuries, and no other buildings were damaged,” Deputy Fire Marshal Randy Selman said.
Care home fire sends residents to old place
Friday, June 15, 2001, By Gary Rotstein, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
A fire that destroyed the Quality Assisted Living personal care home in New Kensington on Wednesday wiped out the 19 low-income residents’ clothes and possessions and extinguished some of the dreams of its owner. But as the mostly elderly residents and owner Deborah Perry quickly resettled into the same building they’d moved from just four months ago, their resolve to stay together remained strong, said staff member Vici Gilley. “They’re banding together, trying to help each other cope with this. These people have only the clothes they got out with on their backs, and that was it,” said Gilley, a registered nurse and full-time employee. She and most of the home’s occupants, who are ambulatory but carry a range of physical and mental ailments, were present in the former Trinity United Lutheran Church on Constitution Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon when a roofer’s blowtorch accidentally set off the blaze, destroying the structure. Quality Assisted Living had transformed the church into a personal-care home earlier this year, moving residents from about a mile away. All of the residents and staff escaped without injury. The homes’ two kittens were also saved, but not their mother. Gilley said Perry, who is also the home’s administrator, was too busy for an interview yesterday while tending to residents’ needs and exchanging information with state inspectors, insurance adjusters and representatives of the Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging, the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and others seeking to provide help. This flurry of activity took place on New Kensington’s Freeport Street, where Perry spent seven years operating the Dove Lane Personal Care Home with a 12-bed capacity until February. Twelve residents are able to live there again, but that’s 18 fewer than was possible in the two-story classroom building Perry had renovated on the church property. Gilley said Quality Assisted Living had more individuals ready to move in to the new quarters and nudge it toward filling most of the 30 beds. They’ll have to make other living arrangements now, as will some residents who were able immediately after the fire to return to the care of nearby family members. The residents ranged in age from 89 to 33, Gilley said. They are all Supplemental Security Income recipients, meaning the state and federal governments combine to provide the individuals with $60 monthly in spending money and just over $800 to turn over to the personal-care home each month for lodging, food and services. The home is receiving calls and offers by cellular phone, 724-339-4624, until regular service is restored.
Natomas fire burns homes: Damage in the accidental blaze is estimated at $1 million.
By Ralph Montaño, Bee Staff Writer
(Published June 15, 2001)
Fire raced through a Natomas subdivision Thursday, destroying five unfinished homes and damaging nine others, officials said. A plumber welding copper pipes accidentally sparked the blaze shortly before noon on Blackridge Avenue, near Arco Arena, said Sacramento Fire Capt. Don Braziel. The wooden structures burned like “matchsticks,” witnesses said. Heat from the blaze threatened to spread to neighboring homes occupied for only two months. Damage was about $1 million. The unfinished homes destroyed by the flames were two months from completion and were worth about $275,000 each, neighbors said. Tony and Wendy Gianola stood across the street and videotaped the blackened ruins of their unfinished home. “We were just out here last night taking pictures,” Tony Gianola said. “That was going to be our home, and now it’s gone.” Their life has been put on hold, he said. Their daughter, Kristina, was to have had her 10th birthday in that house, and she’s already enrolled in the neighborhood school. “But life goes on. At least no one was injured,” he added. The Gianolas’ home was one of five destroyed when a plumber working on a home at the west end of the block sparked a fire with a welding torch, Braziel said. The plumber used a fire extinguisher on the flames, but it was not enough. “After emptying one extinguisher, he ran to get another, and by the time he got back the fire was in the second floor,” Braziel said. The bare wood of the homes burned quickly; one neighbor, Roopa Thummala, said it took the flames about eight minutes to spread down the row of houses. “It was a huge fire shooting up over the roof,” she said. George Naraja was among the many people returning home to the scene of a raging firefight. The heat from the burning homes shattered the windows in his house and ignited the back fence. The plastic blinds also melted, and the rear wall smoldered. “It was ready to go. I thought it was going to burn down,” Naraja said. Down the street, Arthur Anderson and some construction workers used a garden hose to spray his home. Firefighters later told him the action bought him time and probably saved his house. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could move in to my new house only to have it come this close to burning down,” Anderson said. Sixty-seven firefighters from the Sacramento City Fire Department and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to the fire. They used eight engines and five trucks to douse the burning homes and protect the occupied houses nearby. “It could have been a lot worse,” said Braziel. “If this was yesterday and it was still windy, we would still be chasing this one.”
Fire chars Annapolis shop’s roof
By THERESA WINSLOW and BRIAN HAYNES, Staff Writers
It wasn’t the Great Annapolis Fire of 1997, but a two-alarm blaze at a Main Street shop yesterday caused its share of problems. The rooftop fire at Annapolis Treasure Co., 161 Main St., shut down the busy street to traffic for several hours and closed two businesses shortly after the lunch rush. Firefighters battling the blaze in 90-degree heat had to be relieved after short intervals, and air-conditioned paramedic units were brought in to cool them down. No firefighters had to be hospitalized, and no one was injured in the store. The fire started when a roofing torch ignited insulation between the roof and an old roof below it, said Capt. Leonard Clark, city Fire Department spokesman. Roofers had been working on the building earlier in the day. The fire triggered an alarm, prompting the alarm company to call city firefighters, he said. Both the shop and the Acme Bar & Grill next door were evacuated. The fire caused about $5,000 in damage to the roof of the shop. The building and the business are owned by Robert and Ellen Hambleton. “I smelled a little smoke,” said Michelle Perry, assistant to the Hambletons, who sell coins and other collectibles. The employees watched firefighters from the back balcony of the building next door, Chick & Ruth’s Delly. More fire trucks at the back and front of the Treasure Co. building extended ladders to the roof. Other fire trucks and vehicles were parked on Main and Conduit streets. “We’re a little empty now,” said Teddy Levitt of Chick & Ruth’s. “That’s life. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Mr. Levitt — along with a flock of tourists, some armed with camcorders — also took in the early afternoon action. He offered sweaty firefighters drinks. The heat and humidity were so high that a few firefighters took off their heavy turnout coats and sat in the middle of Main Street. The first alarm for the fire was called in at 1:06 p.m. and a second alarm was sounded a half-hour later. The fire was declared under control at 2:05. Firefighters had to cut ventilation holes in the roof of the building to help them battle the flames. Capt. Clark said the Treasure Co. building was equipped with sprinklers, but the bar and grill didn’t have them. Both buildings are near the site of the disastrous fire in December 1997 that caused an estimated $3 million in damage on Main Street. The most probable cause of that fire, according to city fire investigators, was an electrical malfunction that started between the original and drop ceilings in an Indian restaurant at 184 Main St.
Shopping center damaged by fire
DeRenne Avenue closed temporarily before strip mall reopens.
By Anne Hart, Savannah Morning News
A fire in the Globe shopping center on East DeRenne Avenue early Thursday didn’t keep many shops there from business as usual. The blaze damaged three stores in the strip mall between Bull and Abercorn streets and caused smoke damage to others. No one was injured. Most shops in the 10-business center opened after the early morning fire. Those that didn’t were working on a plan. “Hopefully, we will be somewhere where we have a table, computer and phone by Monday,” said Linda Downs, manager of GMS Loans and Finance Corp., one of the damaged stores. The fire started in installation boards in a store that was being made into a dry cleaners, said Capt. Tony Faust, spokesman for Savannah Fire and Emergency Services. Welders were working on the shop attaching brackets and roof supports until around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The fire smoldered for a while before heavy smoke was reported about 5:20 a.m., Faust said. Authorities closed DeRenne Avenue until about 8 a.m. Flames spread from the dry cleaners to two neighboring shops’ ceilings GMS Loans and Finance Corp. and Georgia Catalog Sales. Both temporarily closed Thursday because of damage. The catalog company directed customers to its store on White Bluff Road. “We are fortunate it wasn’t a lot worse,” said Lisa Parker, a wife of one of the owners of Tailor-Made Draperies Inc., which had smoke damage.”If it had been a few years ago, the Globe was full of natural gas.” One shop that had firefighters concerned was the DeRenne Paint Center. They were able to prevent flames from entering the business. “If that had caught on fire, they would have seen the flames from Garden City,” Faust said. Sam Patterson was cleaning up DeRenne Snooker & Billiards after closing hours when smoke filled the business. He called 911 and bolted out the bar. “The first thing you do is get out of the building when you smell smoke,” Patterson said.
Wildfire’s damage: $320,000
By Francis P. Garland, Lode Bureau Chief
IONE — Fire crews spent Thursday mopping up the remains of a wind-whipped fire that charred 2,440 acres of rolling oak grasslands the previous day near Camanche Reservoir. Jean and Ormond Howard spent the day figuring out how to make do without their well and mourning the loss of several priceless items. The blaze was sparked by welding equipment Wednesday morning near Jackson Valley Road and Highway 88, and firefighters had it fully contained by Thursday morning. But dozens of firefighters, more than a dozen engines, two helicopters and other resources remained on the scene trying to snuff out the fire once and for all. Fire officials said they hoped to have the fire extinguished sometime tonight. The fire caused an estimated $320,000 damage and destroyed 10 outbuildings, a storage trailer, an old house valued at $40,000 and an airplane hangar belonging to the Howards. David Samaniego, a captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador/El Dorado Ranger Unit, said 68 homes were threatened and directly in the path of the blaze at one time or another. The Howards, meanwhile, saw plenty of damage on their property. The fire destroyed a pumphouse for their well in addition to the hangar and its contents. Among the items lost were a 1941 Culver Cadet airplane, a second plane, a restored 1960s-vintage Pontiac Catalina and a partially restored 1951 Ford. Also lost in the fire were old yearbooks, items that Ormond Howard’s father had made him and about 1,000 of Jean Howard’s cookbooks. Samaniego estimated the value of the hangar and its contents at $150,000. “It was a disaster,” said Jean Howard, who said the items were not insured. “We’re just blessed that our house was protected. I have 5,000 cookbooks in here.” The fast-moving fire blackened most of the Howards’ 51 acres. “We might have a few postage stamp-size pieces that aren’t (burned),” she said. “Several of our oaks are still burning.” Betty Ann Curran, who lives on the road bearing her surname, had a couple hundred acres of her pasture land burn but didn’t lose any structures. “It’s amazing what the firefighters did,” said Curran, who took a drive through the area to assess the damage to her property. “You’ll see black all around, and then scattered in and around are houses just standing there. “Those people did a terrific job.” Those in the area saw firsthand what the fire did, but others, such as Glenda and Erle McCan, were scrambling to find out from a distance what impact the blaze had on them. The McCans live in Stockton but recently purchased 40 acres in the Jackson Valley area, where they plan to build a home. Glenda McCan said that when she heard about the fire, she thought, “That’s pretty bad luck. “I told my husband — and I told the Realtor — that I was worried about fires,” she said. “But they didn’t listen.”
Welder hurt in 45-foot fall at downtown project site
By Melody McDonald, Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH – A 35-year-old welder was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when he fell face first about 45 feet from the framework at the Fort Worth Convention Center construction site, officials said. The man, whose name was not released, was working at the site in the 1300 block of Houston Street when he stepped on unstable framework and fell, Fort Worth firefighter Steven Walker said. “It gave and the whole thing just came down,” Walker said. When emergency workers arrived just after 2 p.m., the man was responsive and talking, Walker said. He appeared to have several broken bones and had numerous bruises on his back and chest, but his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, Walker said. “It was a miracle,” Walker said. “That is the only way to put it – a miracle.” The man was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital. Staff members would not release information about his condition Tuesday night. Kirk Slaughter, public events director for the city of Fort Worth, said he was told about the accident late Tuesday afternoon but had no details. He referred questions to Ralph Cook of Dallas-based Austin Commercial, program manager for the project. Cook said he expected inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to be at the site today. He said the welder’s fall was the only accident “of any significance” on the project. Staff writer Ginger Richardson contributed to this report. Melody McDonald, (817) 390-7386
2 hurt as blasts rip plant in Grand Blanc
Friday, June 8, 2001, By Bryn Mickle and Nicole Jacques
Grand Blanc Twp. – Two men were hurt Thursday in a series of explosions at an aluminum parts-coating plant in an industrial park on Holly Road. A stray spark from a welder at Rue Industries apparently set cardboard boxes on fire about 3:30 p.m., causing flames to ignite chemicals in the building, said Shawn Trendy, a maintenance worker at the company. “It blew up, and it just kept blowing up. It just wouldn’t stop,” Trendy said. The explosions sent two workers to the hospital with minor injuries and blew a large hole in one side of the building, causing part of the wall to crash onto workers’ cars. The powerful blasts also buckled large sections of the outside walls. One employee credited the actions of the two injured workers. “If it weren’t for them getting us out and trying to contain the fire, it could have been a lot worse,” said Rue worker Emanuel Gray. Gray, who said he was about 50 feet from the first explosion, said he saw the supervisor and plant manager suffer burns while trying to douse the flames with fire extinguishers. Worker Charles Gray said he counted about seven blasts and added that the force of the explosions blew workers across the floor. Firefighters had to bring in special dry chemical foam from Bishop Airport to douse a fire in the furnace area because of water-reactive chemicals in the building, said Grand Blanc Deputy Fire Chief Richard Ferriby. Firefighters from Burton and Groveland Township assisted in battling the blaze. A woman who works in the building next door said she and her co-workers could hear the explosion, but didn’t know what it was at first. “The first time we just thought it was thunder, then we thought it sounded like a truck hit the building,” she said. “But one explosion really shook us.” Rue Industries produces engine coatings for the auto industry.
UPDATE Romania tanker explosion kills 10
CONSTANTA, Romania — At least 10 seamen died on Tuesday when an oil tanker they were repairing exploded in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta. Shipyard workers welding the hull of the 85,000-tonne Maltese tanker Anopolis set off an explosion and fire that raged for an hour, Serban Berescu, the port’s deputy director, told the Associated Press. An official list submitted to the port authority indicated that 14 Romanian workers had been registered to refit the tanker, Reuters reported. Firefighters were still cutting into the side of the vessel in an effort to recover bodies and search for missing workers five hours after the explosion, which occurred at around 1 p.m. local time (1100 GMT). Initial reports from the scene quoted an official at the Santierul Naval Constanta shipyard as saying the explosion may have been sparked by gases from crude oil residue in the tanker. The fire was the second conflagration on the Anopolis in the past two weeks, according to the AP. It was also the second oil-tanker explosion in a month at Constanta, 155 miles east of Bucharest. Two crew members were killed when a Bulgarian oil tanker exploded at the port on May 7. Witness at the time reported seeing a column of dense brown smoke rising from the Bulgarian tanker, whose bow had been pointing up, out of the water, as four tug boats with firefighting equipment drew alongside.
Worker sparks hotel’s second fire in a year
06/05/01 By TERRENCE DOPP, The Express-Times
RARITAN TWP. – A worker using a blowtorch Monday afternoon to fix a bathroom in a vacant Route 202 hotel room touched off the second blaze there in under a year. No one was injured during the fire at the Ramada Inn and guests and employees said the row of rooms was only sporadically occupied. One 66-year-old woman, who declined to identify herself, said the owners have been conducting renovations for much of the year. Blue and green tarps still covered the roof of an attached restaurant that was leveled in October when an electrical malfunction sparked a serious blaze. In that fire, the 5,000-square-foot Mangia Bene Italian restaurant suffered heavy damage, and the roof caved in. Monday’s fire broke out at 2:47 p.m. when a plumber was using a gas flame to solder shower pipes in Room 235. The intense heat caused surrounding wood to burn, according to Mark Bishop, Raritan Township’s deputy fire chief The flames then spread through insulation and into a common attic running the length of the building, which has more than 50 rooms. The contractor tried to put the fire out but it continued to burn in the ceiling, Bishop said. It was a relatively minor fire,” Bishop said. “The first truck had it extinguished and the rest of the men assisted.” Bishop said rescue crews arrived quickly and the fire was out within another 15 minutes. But Hunterdon County Fire Marshall Allen Layton said the fire could have gotten out of control. The fire could have spread through the attic, he said. “Basically it was an accidental fire,” Layton said. “There was an open flame and someone wasn’t careful with it. It’s a common thing for people working on pipes to do.” Arson has been ruled out, Layton said. “As long as we have witnesses, and as long as what they tell us is close to what we see” authorities don’t need to do much follow up work, Layton said.
Explosion kills workers on oil tanker
At least 10 people are reported to have been killed in an explosion on an oil tanker in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta. The powerful blast occurred as Romanian workers carried out welding work on the hull of the 32,000-tonne Malta-flagged ship, the Anapolis. Several ambulances were on the scene and it took firefighters an hour to bring a blaze caused by the explosion under control. Rescue workers were still struggling five hours after the explosion to slice open the wreckage and search for the missing.
Paraffin and mud
It was not immediately clear how many people might have been involved. The explosion occurred at about 1300 (1000 GMT) and set off a fire that raged for an hour, said Serban Berescu, the port’s deputy director. Initial reports suggested a welder’s torch ignited a mixture of paraffin and mud. It was the second oil tanker to explode in less than a month in Constanta, 250km (155 miles) east of the Romanian capital, Bucharest. On 8 May, the Bulgarian oil tanker, Mesta, exploded, killing two members of the crew and filling the air with clouds of black smoke.
Lagos ship explosion kills workers
June 2, 2001 Posted: 3:44 PM EDT (1944 GMT)
LAGOS, Nigeria Up to 10 people are feared dead after an explosion ripped through a ship under repair in Lagos, say port police. Fire fighters battled for hours to contain the fire, the independent Comet newspaper reported. Senior police officials told The Associated Press that no more than 10 people had been killed. Other reports put the number at five dead but it is feared that the number of casualties could be much higher because no one is sure how many people were taking part in repairs on the ship. A Nigerian Ports Authority Police official told Reuters that four bodies had been found but police had not been able to search the scene. The vessel — Real Progress — is berthed in the Ijora fishing jetty in Lagos. It had been moored for repairs for 10 weeks and petrol was being pumped onto the ship through a pipe, the Comet reported. “There were crew members, contractors, suppliers, friends, hawkers on the ship … we were many up there,” it quoted one man. He said he had been thrown off the ship’s deck where he was drilling by the force of the explosion. “We were welding,” the newspaper quoted another man it named as Johnson as saying. He said he left the ship 10 minutes before the explosion. “I was working with oxygen, cutting through some steel while other were using fire induced appliances,” he said. Nigeria, one of the world’s major oil producers, has a tragic history of gasoline-fed fires with many of the accidents involving mishandling or blackmarket sales of fuel in makeshift containers. Police said they were still investigating the cause of the explosion.
One injured as equipment building burns
Go-karts, bumper boat engines damaged as explosion sets off fire
By Sarah Schulz and Sandi S. Alswager
Last modified at 11:49 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2001, The Independent
Matthew Dugan got more than he bargained for at his fifth birthday party.
Dugan, his mother Tammy, and several friends were putt-putt golfing Saturday afternoon at the Super Bowl Family Fun Center, 1010 E. Bismark Road, when a fire broke out. Tammy Dugan said the group was golfing near the building, which was north of the golf course and south of the go-kart track. She said she heard something explode just before a man came out of the building. He was holding his head which was bleeding, she said. Dugan said the explosion occurred around 1:10 p.m., 20 minutes before her son’s party was scheduled to end. None of the party attendants were injured. Matthew Dugan said the loud noise scared him and he saw a lot of smoke. Both Dugans said the birthday party will be one to remember. George Overfield, co-owner of the Super Bowl, said his employee, Tim Mckowski, was not badly hurt. He said there were a few go-karts lost in the fire but it was “not an extreme loss.” The injured employee was cutting a barrel with a blowtorch when the drum exploded, said Filemon Sanchez, co-owner of the Super Bowl. Firefighters saved seven karts but 11 were destroyed, Sanchez said. Fourteen bumper boat engines were also destroyed in the fire, he said. Capt. Brian Stutzman of the Grand Island Fire Department said the call came in at 1:15 p.m. Stutzman said the explosion from the 55-gallon drum caused the fire. There is no damage amount estimate yet. Mckowski was treated and released from St. Francis.
Workers Injured in Entek Plant Fire
May 31, 2001, 08:30 AM
Six people were taken to Lebanon Community Hospital this morning, suffering from smoke inhalation in a fire at the Entek plant in Lebanon. Three of them were transferred to Albany General Hospital because Lebanon could not handle all six. Entek produces separators for more than 60 percent of this country’s car batteries. Dan Powell, Entek’s vice president of finance, said the company is in the midst of its annual maintenance shutdown. He says he believes a spark from a welder got into the duct work and started the fire. No damage estimate was available. Contra Costa Fire Crews at Scene of Blaze at Refinery Contra Costa County firefighters are at the scene of a three-alarm fire at a steel manufacturing facility, and a spokeswoman reports that there are four injuries so far. USS Posco in Pittsburg, in Contra Costa County, is reported by witnesses at the scene to be giving off a thick steam of dark smoke which is drifting into Antioch. USS Posco is a joint venture between US Steel and Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Inc. in South Korea. The fire started at 12:48 this morning, and is apparently feeding on lubricant used inside the factory for the production of steel products, according to a spokeswoman for the county’s fire protection district.
4-H Beef Barn fire
Huron firefighters hose down a portion of the 4-H Beef Barn that is being torn down at the state fairgrounds late Tuesday after a fire was reported. The small fire that began around 9:45 p.m. has been linked to a torch used to cut through steel beams. The flames started in a wall and burned part of the ceiling, said fire chief Doug Rahder.
FOLLOW-UP
UK still looking for fire settlement
LEXINGTON – University of Kentucky officials are still meeting with the construction company it holds responsible for a fire on Tuesday that damaged the UK Administration Building. Officials are in talks with Midland Engineering Co. and its insurance company, Liberty Mutual, to discuss insurance settlements. The fire was started by a welder’s torch as molded copper was being installed on the building’s cornice as part of a $1.3 million renovation. The building, constructed in 1886, is the oldest on campus. Sodden documents were removed Friday to be sent to a Chicago company to be salvaged. A large crane was assembled to begin removing debris from the top floors, said UK spokesman Lloyd Axelrod. “It can reach above the walls and remove debris so the shoring up of the building can begin in earnest,” Mr. Axelrod said.
Flames destroy Tecumseh home
Tecumseh firefighters respond to a house fire at 201 N. Hurst Friday morning. Loss is estimated at $100,000 after the fire rekindled Friday afternoon in the attic. No injuries were reported. (Staff photo by Jamie Jenkins)
By JAMIE JENKINS
A Tecumseh family has lost nearly everything after a fire occurred in their two-story residence about 10 a.m. Friday. Tecumseh Fire Capt. J.R. Kidney said the owner of the residence at 201 N. Hurst, Matthew Pennington, was beneath the house doing plumbing work with a butane torch when he apparently sparked the floor of the house, causing the blaze. Kidney said Pennington didn’t know anything was on fire until he heard the smoke detectors in the house. Pennington later discovered the house full of smoke and called the fire department from a neighbor’s telephone. Kidney said it is believed that the fire started in the center of the lower story of the house. He said there was no one else home at the time of the fire and no one was injured. Firefighters were called back to the home about 1 p.m. after the fire rekindled in the attic. Kidney said the loss is estimated at $100,000. The Penningtons have two children; one who attends Tecumseh High School and another who attends South Rock Creek Elementary. Kidney said the family does have insurance and he was unaware of any funds established at this time.
Workers might have sparked building fire
Friday, May 18, 2001
The roof of a Downtown building under renovation was damaged by fire last night. Columbus fire officials said they think workers in an elevator shaft of the historic Hartman Building at E. Main and S. 4th streets sparked the blaze with a welding torch and left without realizing what had happened. A passer-by noticed the flames about 7 p.m. and called firefighters, Battalion Chief Robert Schmidt said. Four men preparing drywall on the first floor continued to work, not realizing a fire was upstairs. “A gentleman off the street ran in yelling, ‘The building’s on fire!’ ” said Ralph Webb, one of the workers. The 72,000-square-foot Hartman Building, a former hotel built in 1898, has been undergoing a $3 million renovation to house several technology companies. An accurate damage estimate was unavailable last night, but Schmidt said it would be in the thousands.
UK hopes to salvage fire-damaged building
LEXINGTON — University of Kentucky officials met with representatives of Midland Engineering Co. and its fire insurance company Thursday to discuss coverage following a fire that gutted the school’s administration building. The three-story building, built in 1882 and the oldest on campus, sustained substantial damage in Tuesday’s fire, which apparently was started inadvertently by a Midland worker using a propane torch to solder copper eaves. The fire swept through the attic, engulfed the third floor and damaged the second floor of the building, which housed administrative offices — including those of President Charles T. Wethington. Midland is the general contractor on a $1.3 million exterior renovation of the building. Its fire insurance company is Liberty Mutual Group. School officials said all parties agreed to free disclosure of information and documents about the cause of the fire. Dr. Wethington expressed optimism about the future of the historic structure. “All planning at this point is with an eye toward restoring the building,” he said.
School mats may pose fire hazard
Blaze at East High prompts Denver officials to review if pads should be removed from all district facilities
Athletic floor mats used in Denver schools may be a fire hazard and could be removed from all facilities, district officials said Thursday. The investigation into the potential risk of the pads comes after a welder accidentally ignited a closet full of the rolled up mats at East High School Wednesday morning, causing about $1 million in damage to the historic building. “Our risk management people are evaluating the risk of having those mats in our school at all,” said Mark Stevens, spokesman for Denver Public Schools. He said the district does not know what the cost would be. Meanwhile, East High School will remain closed until at least Monday. Stevens said the district will decide when to reopen the school after environmental and structural reviews. Fire inspectors said Thursday that the fire started after an ember from a welder’s torch landed in a closet filled with the mats. The mats burst into flame, shooting fire up the brick stairwell and spreading quickly to a second story auxiliary gym, despite the efforts of two welders to contain the blaze with fire extinguishers. “Those mats are hydrocarbon-based and they basically turn into a liquid when they burn, making it hard to put them out,” said Joe Gonzales, Denver Fire division chief over fire prevention. No one was injured in the blaze. Stevens said welders were repairing several balustrades in a stairwell when the fire started. He said before they started their work, the welders placed fire blankets over the mats. “Could they have been moved? Obviously they could have,” Stevens said. “Would it have been easy? No, not easy for a brief two-hour job. Should they have been moved? Obviously.” Stevens said the district has suspended all welding work in city schools until officials can review safety policies. Thursday afternoon Mayor Wellington Webb toured the school, trading his sport coat and leather shoes for a hard hat and rubber fire boots. “I wanted to come by East High School to get a sense of the amount of damage,” he said. The heat from the fire, which was estimated to reach 1,300 degrees in the auxiliary gym, incinerated ceiling tiles, melted paint off the concrete walls and blew out windows. Melted fire alarms and blackened fire drill posters adorned several walls. Inside a second room where melted plastic hung in strips from the ceiling, the mayor stopped at the door where the fire was contained. “There is much more damage than I realized,” he said staring around at the blackened room. “When you read about it or hear about it, it’s a lot different than when you see it.” May 18, 2001
Fire causes shelter-in-place, confusion in St. Albans
Thursday May 17, 2001; By Charles Shumaker, STAFF WRITER
When a shelter-in-place was issued for residents in St. Albans, a voice came on the television with instructions that many couldn’t understand. “I couldn’t understand what was going on, what it said or what to do,” said Cross Lanes resident Charlie Wheeler, who lives near a chemical plant. Contractors from Hayslett Construction Co. in Hurricane were dismantling a tank at St. Albans’ wastewater treatment plant when the fire began about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Capt. Scott Davidson of the St. Albans Fire Department said hot metal from a cutting torch fell into the tank and ignited a piece of fiberglass paneling. Davidson said construction workers tried to extinguish the fire for 10 minutes before the fire department was called. Since the smoke was so thick, St. Albans fire chief Steve Parsons issued a warning using the Emergency Alert System. “They might as well just take it off rather than scare people. If you are not going to be able to understand it, why have it,” Wheeler said. More than 400 residents called Metro 911 and area fire stations with questions about what was going on and what they should do. “I didn’t know whether to stay put, jump in the car and leave or call the neighbors,” Wheeler said. Emergency Services director Bill White also received more than 100 calls to his office after the jumbled message was broadcast. “It’s very, very poor. I have fought it for years,” White said. “It’s just not effective, period, zippo. You can’t understand it.” The digital voice, White said, is put out by the National Weather Service through television and radio after he notifies them of the emergency. “The voice just doesn’t work that well. I could go to a toy store and buy a $10 fire truck that talks that you could understand better,” White said. Kevin Dudding, operation superintendent for the municipal utility commission, said upgrades to the sewage plant would replace the tank involved in the fire. Prior to demolition, Dudding said the tank – used in one of the last phases of wastewater cleaning – was cleaned with chlorine. It has been out of service for about two weeks, Dudding said. Firefighters used a ladder truck to extinguish the fire from outside the tank. Davidson said the fire was not all that large and was out quickly. White downplayed the incident. “There wasn’t any hazard,” White said. “There was just a lot of smoke. Well, hell, the fire didn’t last 10 minutes.” Since it involved plastics and fiberglass, Davidson said the smoke was thick and lingered near the ground, which initially concerned authorities. The construction firm has received 29 workplace safety violations totaling more than $57,000 in fines since June 1992, according the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The St.Albans municipal utilities commission issued guidelines to the company to make sure nothing similar to the incident happens in the future, Davidson said. Staff writer Ken Ward Jr. contributed to this report.
Fire closes East High for the week
Welder’s torch sparks blaze; several hundred thousand dollars in damage is estimated. By Sarah Huntley, News Staff Writer
Fire struck East High School on Wednesday morning, causing enough damage to cancel classes for the rest of the week. No one was injured. The blaze broke out about 10:50 a.m., when a welder’s torch threw a spark, igniting rubber and foam wrestling mats in a first-floor storage area, Denver Fire Rescue spokeswoman Celia Kulbe said. The workers were repairing a wrought iron railing in a stairwell. The fire roared up the stairwell to the second floor, spreading into the weight room, or auxiliary gym. Most of the school’s 1,650 students were off campus for lunch, but an estimated 200 students and staff members evacuated the building at 1545 Detroit St. About 60 firefighters had the blaze under control in 40 minutes, Kulbe said. Crews were on the scene until 6 p.m. Denver Public Schools officials estimated damage at several hundred thousand dollars. All classes, club meetings and evening activities at the school have been canceled at least through Friday. When the fire broke out, students inside the school were notified by teachers, an announcement over the loudspeaker and flashing alarm lights, but no bells sounded during the fire. School officials said welders had turned off the audible alarm system so it wouldn’t be triggered by incidental smoke. “That is standard procedure when the welders go in to work on a building,” school district spokesman Mark Stevens said. Turning off the bells inside the school has no effect on the alarm connection to dispatchers. The box alarm at dispatch went off as expected, Kulbe said. But school officials were investigating reports that the welders failed to obtain a permit from the Fire Department. “It doesn’t appear that we notified the Fire Department that we were in there working,” Stevens said. Stevens said it was a cause for concern because a permit alerts firefighters that people might still be inside, unaware of an emergency. Fire and school officials plan to meet to discuss the problem this morning. Ninth-grader Auria DuPuch was one of about 15 students studying drama in the auditorium when the fire started. “We couldn’t smell any smoke or anything from where we were, but a teacher came in and told us we had to leave the building. I thought she was just trying to kick us out,” DuPuch, 14, said. Girls’ track coach Loren Turner was inside the auxiliary gym when a welder called out to him, warning him of the fire. Turner ran to the cafeteria, about 60 feet away, for a fire extinguisher. But when he returned, the fire had grown from a smolder to a blaze. “It just caught onto those mats and torched them up,” Turner said. Black clouds of smoke could be seen two miles away. “We were coming west on (East) Colfax Avenue and, at first, it looked almost like a fog,” 17-year-old senior Carolyn Tinsley said. “We were pretty sad,” said her friend, 18-year-old Kerry McRae. “I mean, our school is so pretty. We were freaking out.” Dean of Students Wes Ashley had a similar reaction. “It’s sad to see this happen to an old school like this. It’s a historic landmark,” Ashley said. East High School was built in 1925, with additions in 1975 and 1981. Some students said they hope the fire doesn’t keep them away for too long. “I’m not ready to start an early summer break,” said ninth-grader Kenya Robinson, 14. “We’re just getting to the fun part of the school year.” Staff writer Tillie Fong contributed to this report.
Fire at auto salvage yard darkens skies in suburbs
Firefighters use tons of foaming agent, water to quell blaze. A petroleum-fueled fire spread rapidly to 1,000 cars Tuesday morning at Larson’s Auto Salvage in Blaine, blackening the skies over the north suburbs. Eight fire departments were called in to battle the blaze. The fire, directly east of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, began at 9:20 a.m. and took four hours to control. By 3 p.m., the fire was extinguished. Two firefighters were injured while fighting the fire: one suffered heat exhaustion and another a back strain. Nyle Zikmund, fire chief of the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department, said the cause of the fire is under investigation. However, he said the fire does not appear to have been deliberately set. He said workers had used torches on the vehicles earlier that day. The fire could be seen from as far away as Interstate 35W and the Mounds View municipal building, where the Mounds View Police Department fielded calls from concerned residents. “It was a four-hour black column of smoke,” Zikmund said. The acrid smell of petroleum and burning tires permeated a wide area. Koch Refinery assisted in putting out the fire by supplying a special foaming agent designed to put out tire fires. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources dumped 36,000 gallons of water and foaming agent on the blaze. The Andover, Centennial, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Ham Lake, Lake Johanna and Minneapolis fire departments also assisted in putting out the fire. In all, Zikmund estimated 150,000 gallons of water were used. Cost estimates for fighting the fire ranged from $50,000 to $200,000, including fire and rescue crews, equipment and supplies.
Market Square catches fire
Welder’s torch ignites roof of Indiana Pacers’ old home
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS – A welder’s torch ignited the paper backing on roof insulation at Market Square Arena, starting a fire Monday morning that blackened the domed roof a month before the arena’s scheduled demolition. The arena was the home of the Indiana Pacers from 1974 to 1999. No one was injured in the fire that sent a plume of black smoke rising from the white roof that could be seen miles away. Firefighters needed about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control after it was reported about 9 a.m. The fire burned a small section of the fabric along the roof’s southern face, but caused no apparent structural damage. Demolition crews are expected to resume work Tuesday in preparation for next month’s scheduled implosion, according to the city’s Capital Improvement Board, which owns the arena. A five-person crew was using a blow torch to separate the main roof from a steel support beam at the arena’s rim when the paper backing caught fire, the CIB said. Firefighters had trouble reaching the fire because of the arena’s height and were forced to pull a heavy, water-filled hose over a ladder to direct water onto the flames. “We did it the hard way. We’ve been stretching hose over the aerial ladder,” said Mario Garza, a spokesman for the Indianapolis Fire Department.
PUBLISHED TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2001
Roof fire damages home
By the Standard Staff
An Uptown house lost a portion of its roof to fire and suffered interior smoke and water damage Thursday afternoon. Firefighters were called to 521 W. Granite St. at 3:37 p.m. after a roofer using a propane torch to apply hot tar accidentally started a fire, according to Butte-Silver Bow Battalion Chief Mick Mulcahy. “ We got to it before it got too spread through the structure,” Mulcahy said. Ken Baze, who planned to open a real estate office there, owns the building. Six firefighters and three engines responded to the fire, which was put out and cleaned up by 5:17 p.m., Mulcahy said.
Fire causes minor damage at UBS Warburg
By James O’Keefe, Staff Writer
STAMFORD – About 2,000 employees were evacuated from UBS Warburg yesterday after a welder accidentally set fire to an outside dining area, fire and company officials said. Trading at the investment bank corporation at the 677 Washington Blvd. was suspended for about a half-hour when the fire broke out at about 3:15 p.m. No injuries were reported, and trading-floor employees were allowed inside just before 4 p.m., officials said. “The trading-floor personnel were the first to return to the building,” UBS Warburg spokesman Paul Marrone said. Marrone said the fire caused minimal structural damage. The corporation’s computer infrastructure was not damaged, he said. UBS Warburg, which employs about 3,000 people in Stamford, is the U.S. investment banking arm of UBS AG, Switzerland’s largest bank. Customers experienced no interruption in service, Marrone said. Calls to the Stamford building were routed to Warburg’s New York City office during the evacuation. Stamford Fire & Rescue Lt. Phil Hayes said the blaze was started by a welder working on the exterior of the building near the outdoor dining area on the fifth floor. The welding torch ignited the patio’s plastic subfloor, filling the area with smoke, Hayes said. Firefighters lifted 50-pound tiles off of the patio floor to extinguish the smoky blaze, he said. The fire spread into the building and up a support column before it was extinguished, Hayes said. About three dozen city firefighters responded to the scene, while crews from Glenbrook and Belltown fire departments provided aid, Hayes said. UBS Warburg employees were alerted to the fire by an alarm system. “Everyone got out pretty quick. They all walked down the stairs in an orderly fashion,” said Ed O’Dowd, executive director of human resources. Fire trucks and police cars surrounded the building as displaced employees stood in the warm afternoon sun. Some of the workers chatted on cellular telephones, drank coffee or smoked cigarettes while others lounged on the lawn. “We survived the fire,” one employee said as he stretched out on the grass with his shoes off. Marrone said the corporation holds fire drills on a regular basis to ensure employees are prepared to leave the building quickly in an emergency. When construction on the Washington Boulevard building is completed, UBS Warburg will have the largest securities trading floor in the world. The fire remains under investigation by the city fire marshal’s office.
Blowtorch sets salvage-yard fire
BITHLO — A worker using a blowtorch accidentally started a salvage-yard fire Friday, but the quick actions of the employees and firefighters got the blaze under control. “It scared the hell out of me,” said Jason Hutchison, 20, a worker at J&B Auto Parts in Bithlo. “Somebody yelled ‘fire’ and everybody started running for the fire extinguishers.” The fire whooshed into the roof of the J&B dismantling shed at about 10:30 a.m. after a worker accidentially ignited a van’s gas tank with the torch, a company official said. One worker received minor injuries in the blaze. J&B, which sprawls across 11 acres and keeps an inventory of thousands of salvaged windshields, transmissions and other parts, has taken in many wrecked cars over the years. A worker using a forklift moved the van aside to give his colleagues a better angle at dousing the flames before they reached highly flammable tires and fuel tanks. One after another, they emptied extinguishers into the fire. “Everybody showed a lot of heart,” Hutchison said. “Nobody ran. They were out there trying to put it out.” Tom Horton, J&B’s vice president, said he and another worker called 911 and grabbed computer tapes and cash from the register. Meanwhile, Gary Bowers, acting lieutenant at Orange County’s Fire Rescue station in Bithlo, said someone raced to the station in a pickup, yelling about the fire. “When that happens, I usually know it means it could be something,” Bowers said. Smoke towered over unincorporated Bithlo, which has several auto salvage yards along its main drag of Colonial Drive. A chief declared the blaze a two-alarm fire, bringing engines from as far as Seminole County and west Orlando. When firefighters arrived, flames had engulfed a stack of car seats piled next to several tanks of torch fuel. Flames also had climbed 20 feet into the rafters of the shed’s roof. J&B workers credited firefighters with showing up quickly to halt the inferno. But their thoughts fixed on the fate of the salvage yard, where nearly 40 workers take in 100 wrecks a month, turning them into $3 million in annual parts sales. “My boys got to have paychecks just like everybody else,” yard foreman Gary Gayton, 47, said. Salvage worker Lonnie Reese, 44, was treated and released from Orlando Regional Medical Center for burns to his hands and wrists. Several other workers were checked for smoke inhalation. The road to recovery for the business wasn’t clear late Friday. Horton, whose father opened J&B in 1974, said damage won’t be determined until some demolition is done. Still, the company planned to reopen today. Workers scrambled to get power and phones restored and to find space to dismantle wrecks. “We should be up and running,” Horton said.
Dairy gutted by fire
The Associated Press, 8/01 4:16 PM
MANCHESTER, Vt. (AP) — A welding torch may have caused the fire that destroyed a barn and milking plant at a well-known dairy Monday.
More than 100 firefighters from around Bennington County and nearby New York responded to the blaze around 3:43 p.m. While most of the herd owned by the Wilcox Dairy was saved, a handful of calves died in the blaze. No people were injured in the fire. The main buildings were destroyed within minutes, though firefighters managed to save a nearby clapboard house that serves as an office and home. An ammonia leak made fighting the blaze more difficult, Manchester Capt. Richard Holmes said. “Everything is tinder dry. It’s hard to believe how fast something goes,” said Howard Wilcox, the company president. “It’s just sad. It’s a real tragedy,” said Jamieson Harkins of Arlington, a former Wilcox employee. “It’s a symbol of Manchester, really.” A mainstay of Bennington County’s agricultural scene, the Wilcox family began farming in Manchester in 1898 and moved to their present location on Route 7A in 1902. The dairy ran into financial trouble last year when a Superior Court judge approved a Texas company’s bid to foreclose on the 400-acre farm. A local land trust helped the farm to negotiate a deal with the Texas creditor. “We have settled on an amount with them and we’re in the final stages of resolving the issue. That was getting behind us,” Wilcox said. “Now this.” Wilcox said that the dairy was insured against fire damage and said the business would rebuild. Stanley Zecher, a retired farmer and friend of the Wilcoxes, said the fire began when a member of the Wilcox family was using a welding torch outside the main barn. The torch may have sparked and ignited the interior, he said. Fire officials said they had not determined the cause of the blaze. “We’re going to have to investigate. We’ll probably have the fire marshal look at it,” Holmes said. He said there was no reason to think the fire was suspicious.
Fire finishes off 10 junked cars at Corona yard
BY JAMES NASH, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE CORONA
Flames burned through 10 junked cars at a Magnolia Avenue auto-parts yard Monday, filling the sky with billowy gray smoke. A regular customer at Corona Auto Parts Recycling apparently ignited the blaze by using a blowtorch to try to remove a part from a truck, said Steven Ferrara, manager of the business at Magnolia Avenue and All American Way. The fire was reported about 1:15 p.m. Flames consumed rubber, upholstery and some nearby weeds for about 20 minutes before three Corona Fire Department engines extinguished the fire, Battalion Chief Ted Yancu said. “There was a lot of heat, but this type of fire does tend to burn slowly.” Police closed off Magnolia Avenue between Sixth Street and All American Way while firefighters battled the fire. Smoke from the oil-fed blaze was visible over much of eastern Corona. The burned vehicles had recently been moved to a corner of the auto yard to be taken away and disposed, Ferrara said. “It was pretty much scrap,” he said. “(The fire) actually helped us by making (the vehicles) smaller to take out.”
The three workers were killed and another injured when an acetylene container exploded during welding work at the Stakhanov plant in Luhansk, 518 miles (836 km) east of the capital Kiev, the Emergency Situations Ministry reported. The explosion occurred one day after a methane gas explosion killed eight coal miners in eastern Ukraine, in the coal industry’s gravest accident so far this year. The Associated Press reported that job accidents occur frequently in the ex-Soviet republic’s industrial sector, where safety rules are often violated due to neglect or lack of funds to improve labor standards.
Welder’s spark ignites fire at Milford power plant
MILFORD – More than 100 workers were forced to evacuate the Milford power plant on Bic Drive when a welding procedure sparked a fire inside a wall, fire officials said.
Fire Capt. Richard Mohr said no injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, which took firefighters nearly two hours to douse because the flames were inside a wall made of 10-inch-thick steel. Milford Power Co. reported the fire at 11:27 a.m., Mohr said, and more than 10 emergency vehicles and fire trucks were dispatched to the plant, parts of which remain under construction. The power plant was the site of a deadly accident a little more than a year ago, when tons of construction equipment plunged to the ground. Two men were killed and a third man lost his leg after being pinned under debris for nearly eight hours. Mohr said the fire was under control by 1 p.m., but workers were not permitted back into the building until after 3 p.m. “It wasn’t a big fire, but they did lose (about) four hours,” Mohr said. “All work stopped and everyone was evacuated. There were well over a 100 people.” Mohr said dousing the blaze was time consuming because firefighters had to saw through the steel walls to get at the fire. The inside of the plant is a large steel structure, with pipes running through the building. Mohr said the fire started when workers performed some type of welding that produced sparks, which ignited insulation, he said. Mohr said the fire damage to the power plant, in terms of cost, was “minimal.” Milford Power Co. officials could not be reached for comment. The earlier accident on Feb. 2, 2000 was blamed on the premature removal of temporary bracing that was securing the structure, thus leaving it vulnerable to collapse, the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration found. Black & Veatch Construction Inc. was fined $7,000. Robert Fitch, 63, of North Branford, the crane operator who lost his leg in the collapse, went back to work a year after the accident. Boilermakers Kevin Winslow of Newington and Wayne Most of West Hartford were killed in the accident.
Garage fire damages car
May 2, 2001
Herald Staff Writer
Construction workers may be responsible for a garage fire Tuesday that damaged a car and caused smoke damage to parts of a home in Durango, fire officials said. Workers were using a saw to cut metal, and sparks are believed to have caught a chair on fire, said Capt. Cris Garcia, of the Durango Fire Department. The house was in the 100 block of Montezuma Place, on the west side of Durango, Garcia said. A neighbor and construction workers tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose but were unsuccessful, he said. The Fire Department arrived five minutes after receiving the call at 1:53 p.m., Garcia said. Garcia said a rough estimate of damage was $10,000 or more.
NTSB releases Ecstasy fire findings
The National Transportation Safety Board yesterday issued a preliminary report on the July 1998 fire on the Carnival cruise ship Ecstasy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On the afternoon of July 20, 1998, the Liberian passenger ship Ecstasy had departed the Port of Miami, Florida, en route to Key West, Florida, with 2,565 passengers and 916 crewmembers on board when a fire started in the main laundry shortly after 1700. The fire migrated through the ventilation system to the aft mooring deck where mooring lines ignited, creating intense heat and large amounts of smoke. As the Ecstasy was attempting to reach an anchorage north of the Miami sea buoy, the vessel lost propulsion power and steering and began to drift. The master then radioed the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. A total of six tugboats responded to help fight the fire and to tow the Ecstasy. The fire was brought under control by onboard firefighters and was officially declared extinguished about 2109. Fourteen crewmembers and eight passengers suffered minor injuries. One passenger who required medical treatment as a result of a pre-existing condition was categorized as a serious injury victim because of the length of her hospital stay. Carnival Corporation, Inc., the owner of the Ecstasy, estimated that losses from the fire and associated damages exceeded $17 million.
The major safety issues discussed in this report are as follows:
* Adequacy of management safety oversight;
* Adequacy of the fire protection systems;
* Adequacy of passenger and crew safety; and
* Adequacy of engineering system design.
As result of its investigation of this accident, the Safety Board adopted safsety recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard, Carnival Corporation, Inc., Carnival Cruise Lines, cruise ship operating companies, Asea Brown Boveri Marine Group, AG, and the International Association of Classification Societies.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Although the Ecstasy’s mooring deck sustained the heaviest fire damage, it was not the point of origin for the fire.
2. The fire on board the Ecstasy started in the main laundry and was ignited by an arc from a welding machine.
3. The fitters’ (welders’) lack of full compliance with the “hot work” permit procedures in Carnival Cruise Lines’ safety management system manual increased the risks of fire in the main laundry.
4. The lint that accumulated in the ventilation duct of the main laundry created a serious fire hazard on the Ecstasy.
5. The procedures and standards for inspecting and maintaining laundry ventilation systems adopted by the marine industry and government agencies following the Ecstasy fire will improve safety on cruise ships.
6. If an automatic fire suppression system had been installed on the mooring deck, the fire on the Ecstasy would have been located and extinguished much sooner, thereby minimizing the extent of fire damage on the vessel and aft mooring deck.
7. The vessel’s automatic fire sprinkler system effectively limited the spread of fire from the mooring station to adjoining decks, thereby preventing a significantly worse fire that would have caused greater damage and perhaps additional injuries.
8. If the main laundry’s fire dampers had been equipped with a passive means of closure, such as a fusible link, the heat from the fire would have caused the dampers to shut sooner, which, in turn, might have prevented the spread of fire beyond the laundry area.
9. The fire detection system performed properly by providing an early indicator of a fire.
10. Although most survey respondents indicated that the Ecstasy practice drill adequately prepared them for the actual fire emergency, the drill lacked information about actions to take if you see smoke or if your muster station is unavailable that might have assisted passengers who encountered conditions or situations contrary to those during the drill.
11. Although the noise from the news helicopters may have interfered somewhat with the communications with passengers on the outside deck, crewmembers were able to effectively communicate with the mustered people and manage the emergency.
12. The procedures used by the Ecstasy’s shipboard personnel to account for passengers and crewmembers during the emergency were not accurate.
13. The lack of consistency between the information provided at the practice drill about the provision of lifejackets and the procedures that crewmembers followed in distributing lifejackets during the actual emergency created unnecessary confusion among some passengers on the Ecstasy.
14. The lack of a means to call for help from the crew cabins delayed the rescue of two crewmembers and contributed to the severity of their smoke inhalation injuries.
15. The emergency response by shipboard and shoreside firefighters to the fire was timely and appropriate, resulting in the fire being properly contained and extinguished.
16. The failure to separate the power circuitry in the design arrangement of the auxiliary voltage supply to the high-speed breakers of the propulsion systems resulted in inadequate isolation of essential system components, which, in turn, resulted in the shutdown of both propulsion systems when a single distribution panel was damaged.
17. To ensure the highest levels of safety and reliability, ship owners should require the use of qualitative failure analysis techniques in the design and construction of their vessels.
PROBABLE CAUSE
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of fire aboard the Ecstasy was the unauthorized welding by crewmembers in the main laundry that ignited a large accumulation of lint in the ventilation system and the failure of Carnival Cruise Lines to maintain the laundry exhaust ducts in a fire-safe condition. Contributing to the extensive fire damage on the ship was the lack of an automatic fire suppression system on the aft mooring deck and the lack of an automatic means of mitigating the spread of smoke and fire through the ventilation ducts.
Fire Hits Nebraska Recycling Company
The combination of shredded newspaper and sparks proved costly for Midlands Recycling Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. No damage figure had been made on Saturday’s blaze, but Bill Moody, a fire inspector, said it would be more than $100,000. A grinding tool was in use to loosen metal safety plates on a conveyor belt when sparks ignited mounds of newspaper inside a pit, Acting Deputy Fire Chief Bret Davis said. Workers drained four fire extinguishers trying to put out the fire before it was reported around 7 a.m., Davis said. Flames spread to the conveyor belt and the top of the machine, which picks paper out of the pit. The machine sends the paper up the conveyor belt to a shredder and baler, then down another conveyor belt. Bales of paper were stacked under the machine. Support structures were burned as the fire spread to the building’s ceiling. Firefighters needed nearly an hour to bring the fire under control, Davis said. Considering the building was filled with shredded newspaper, it could have been worse, Davis said. A sprinkler system also helped contain the blaze. “It could have been a nightmare,” Davis said.
Roof fire prompts brief closure at D.C. museum
By DERRILL HOLLY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – A small fire on the roof of the National Museum of Natural History prompted the evacuation of all guests yesterday, but visitors were allowed to return about 90 minutes later. “We probably evacuated about 5,000 people in 15 minutes,” said Randall Kremer, a museum spokesman. “We’re just happy that there was no more damage,” said Kremer, noting that an 18- square-foot section of drywall that was singed would be replaced, possibly overnight. Firefighters from the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department spent about 15 minutes extinguishing the flames over the covered atrium of the museum’s Discovery Center. An investigation determined the fire was caused by welding or soldering materials being used by workers on the roof of the building. “Some sparks got underneath the metal and into the wood and started to smolder,” said Alan Etter, a fire department spokesman. As firefighters battled the blaze, a construction worker fell through a glass panel under the museum’s rotunda and suffered injuries when he struck the floor of a service area at least 15 feet below. The man, identified as Spurgeon Carter, 30, was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment of back injuries and minor cuts, Etter said. He was in stable but fair condition yesterday evening. Although the fire was minor, Etter said the department mobilized a lot of equipment and personnel because of the location of the building and the value of its contents. “This is the largest collection of natural history exhibits in the world; if it ever lived we probably have one as a specimen,” said Kremer. Only a portion of the museum’s 124 million specimens and artifacts are on exhibit at any given time. Many other collections are stored at the Smithsonian Institution warehouses in Suitland while others are on loan or displayed in touring exhibitions. This time of year the museum is visited by about 20,000 people each day. About 9.4 million guests who typically visit annually make it the busiest museum in the world, Kremer said.
Worker Killed in Explosion at Fuel Tank Repair Company, Another Severely Burned
The worker, Andrew Giordano, was killed when his welding torch apparently ignited fuel oil fumes, triggering an explosion and fire that rocked Paterson’s Lakeview section. Immediately after the explosion, witness saw smoke billowing into the sky and flames rolling out of the large garage front. Flaming oil flowed down the street in streams of water from fire hoses, setting two cars on fire 50 feet away. Firefighters put out the blaze within 20 minutes.
Reporter: Ashanti M. Alvarez, Bergen Record
CITY HALL FIRE BRIEFLY CLOSES LASALLE ST.
April 17, 2001
CHICAGO — A welder’s torch set off a small fire at City Hall on Monday that caused only minor damage but closed LaSalle Street for an hour. The wood core of a window frame on the 121 N. LaSalle St. building’s ninth floor was ignited about noon, fire officials said. The area is being renovated for the Buildings Department. The welders attempted to extinguish the fire and then called for emergency help. About 40 Fire Department personnel responded, and firefighters hosed down the area. LaSalle north of Washington Street to north of the Chicago River was closed for more than an hour, and elevators in City Hall were stopped. No injuries were reported.
Fire causes minimal damages
By JAINE TREADWELL
Features Editor
A spark from an acetylene torch ignited a pile of insulation about 25 feet in diameter at Ellis Metal shortly before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, but was quickly brought under control by firefighters from the Brundidge and Hamilton Crossroads volunteer fire departments.
House fire appears to be accidental
DIGHTON — A fire that ravaged a Maple Street home Monday night appears to have been caused accidentally as a result of some home improvement work, a Dighton fire official said yesterday.
No one was home at the time of the fire, which broke out about 8 p.m. at 1733 Maple St., the home of Albert and Claire Berube. Before going bowling, Albert Berube was using a propane torch to install a water heater in the basement, underneath the living room. As a result of the heat from the torch, an area of the underside of the living room floor became hot enough to ignite, which it did after Berube left the house, Dighton Fire Lt. Chris Ready said. “The area he was working in got too hot. It doesn’t immediately cool down. There was a lot of heat in a concentrated area,” said Ready, adding that it’s important to use a heat shield when working with a propane torch. The fire had already done extensive damage before anyone became aware of it, Ready said. “The house sits way back off the road, so you can’t see it and the neighbors didn’t know anything was going on until they smelled smoke,” Ready said, adding that the windows and doors were closed, holding in the heat and intensifying the blaze. The house will probably have to be re-built, Ready said. There was heat and smoke damage throughout the structure and fire damage in the living room and a second floor bedroom.
©The Taunton Gazette 2001
Fires damage home
Columbia firefighters yesterday extinguished blazes at a southwest Columbia residence and a northeast Columbia manufacturing plant. No one was injured. About 2:50 p.m., firefighters responded to a fire reported in a basement wall at a home at 2420 Cimarron Drive, owned by Phil Lapkin and Rebecca McTugh, according to division chief Nathan Williams of the Columbia Fire Department. Investigators found that a torch used by a plumber to repair an outdoor faucet had ignited insulation in the wall. The fire spread into the wall and the basement ceiling and caused an estimated $25,000 in damage.
Gas tanker starts fire in Grand Island
Capt. Todd Morgan of the Grand Island Fire Department saw some action his first day as captain when a gasoline tanker caught fire in the back shop of Yant Equipment on West Highway 30. Morgan said the employees were eating lunch in the front of the building when they smelled smoke coming from the shop and called 911. The fire started when excess oil and grease on an empty gasoline tank that employees had been welding that morning ignited. All units were needed to contain the blaze, leading to a recall of off-duty officers. Crews were able to contain the fire to just the one tanker and extinguish the flames in about 15 minutes. “We don’t like having to have a recall,” Morgan said, “but we’re not going to send units back when we really need them either.” “What a way to start off a new career!” The building suffered extensive smoke damage, insulation and ceiling fans were melted, and the tanker was a complete loss. Damage was estimated at $12,000 to $15,000. No one was injured in the blaze, Morgan said. If the fire hadn’t been contained, there was a propane tank next to the tanker that could have posed a serious threat, he said. And while this particular tank was empty, Morgan said empty tanks can often be more hazardous than full ones if the fumes haven’t been completely purged. Yant Equipment employee Les Buschow said the tank posed no threat because it was thoroughly emptied and cleaned out, as all tanks are before they’re ever brought into the shop.
2 killed in oilfield explosion
By Scott Freeman
Odessa American
PYOTE — Two Midland men died about 10 miles northwest of here Friday afternoon when the oilfield storage tank they were working on exploded. Norman Perea Pallanes, 32, and Gilberto Urias, 27, both of Midland, were pronounced dead at the scene of the oilfield accident, which occurred at 3:15 p.m. approximately 10 miles northwest of Pyote along Farm-to-Market Road 2355. The mangled catwalk and the tank’s charred steel shell led officials to offer a quick explanation of what they believed happened. “They were working with a cutting torch on a storage tank when the gas inside ignited, causing the explosion,” said Ward County Sheriff Mikel Strickland. The storage tank was part of a tank battery at a new well site in an area dotted with oil rigs, pump jacks, natural gas well fields and gas plants located about 35 miles west of Monahans in the midst of sand dunes and salt flats on the way to Pecos. “It was a new tank. They probably just kicked it on (Friday) afternoon,” Strickland said. The men were standing on top of the tank when it exploded, throwing them off and down to the ground, Strickland said. Ward County Justice of the Peace ordered autopsies for the two men, and the bodies were taken to Lubbock after being transported to a Monahans funeral home by hearse. Investigators at the scene from the Ward County Sheriff’s Department were hampered by high winds and blowing sand that limited visibility in the area to anywhere from 50 feet to a quarter of a mile. “We had a cold front move through that created a tight pressure gradient, resulting in high winds throughout the Permian Basin,” said Dan Koch, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Midland. Koch said winds attained sustained speeds of 30 miles per hour throughout the afternoon and early evening, with gusts approaching 50 mph.
SAFETY ALERT
(Workers Killed While Welding on Tank Containing Flammable Material)
March 1988
A worker attempted to do some welding on a tanker truck that had contained ’emulsion’ from an oilfield battery. An explosion resulted that wrecked the truck and the building in which the welding was taking place. The welder was killed and another worker in the building injured. No precautions had been taken to ensure that the tank was free from explosive vapors.
December 1988
A worker attempted to do some welding on a taker truck that had contained ’emulsion’ from an oilfield battery. An explosion resulted that wrecked the truck and the building in which the welding was taking place. The welder was killed. Although the tank had been steam cleaned in an attempt to purge vapors, there were still sufficient residues to create an explosive atmosphere. The tank should have been tested for flammable vapors before and during the welding operations.
Prevention
Had Occupational Health and Safety Regulations been followed, it is unlikely that an explosion would have occurred in either instance. Section 272(2) of the regulations requires that:
An employer shall ensure that no hot work is performed where a flammable liquid or explosive substance is or may be present until:
-
suitable tests properly conducted have been made that indicate the work may be safely performed; and
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suitable procedures, including testing, have been adopted and implemented to ensure continuous safe performance of the work.
Hot work defined in section 272(1) includes welding.
Section 272(3) requires that:
When testing procedures are required during hot work, and employer shall have tests made at intervals appropriate to the work being performed and the results recorded.
Finally, section 272(5) requires that:
An employer shall ensure that every tanker, tank, vessel or piping that contains or has contained any combustible liquid, flammable liquid or explosive substance is purged before any hot work is commenced on that tanker, tank, vessel or piping.
Requirements for Welding on Tanks Containing Explosive
Substances
Any welding on tankers, tanks or vessels that contain or have contained any combustible liquid, flammable liquid or explosive substance is considered to present an imminent risk to the welder. Before the Occupational Health and Safety Branch will permit any employer to engage in this type of welding, he or she must arrange to have the tank purged. In addition, the employer must have and use appropriate equipment and competent employees at the worksite to test the atmosphere in any tank-both before and during welding operations.
Contact:
Occupational Health & Safety
Regina Enquiry:(306) 787-4496
6th Floor, 1870 Albert Street
S4P 3V7
Saskatoon Enquiry:(306) 933-5052
8th Floor, 12 – 3rd Avenue North
S7K 2H6
Toll Free Line
1 – 800 – 567 – SAFE (7233)
Explosion in Paterson kills New Milford man
Saturday, March 31, 2001
By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ
Staff Writer
PATERSON — A worker for a fuel tank repair company was killed Friday when his welding torch apparently ignited fuel oil fumes, triggering an explosion and fire that rocked the city’s Lakeview section. The blast Friday afternoon gutted the Eastern Tank Corp. garage at 290 Pennsylvania Ave., shaking the industrial neighborhood and drawing crowds onto the street to view the destruction. Andrew Giordano, a laborer from New Milford, was killed in the explosion. Severely burned Paterson resident and laborer Harry Kunze, 44, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital’s burn unit in Livingston, where he was in critical condition. “It was a big, powerful explosion,” said Lynn Pappas, a worker for the Passaic County Health Department, whose office is down the street from the explosion site. “I can’t even explain it. It was weird. You just knew something was wrong.” Imad Naser, who owns a body shop adjacent to the Eastern Tank garage, ran outside and saw a screaming Kunze running from the shop, his body burned from head to toe. “It was terrible,” Naser said. Immediately after the explosion, witnesses saw smoke billowing into the sky and flames rolling out of the large garage front. Flaming oil flowed down the street in streams of water from fire hoses, setting two cars on fire 50 feet away. One of them, a Mercedes-Benz that reportedly belonged to the owner of the garage, was destroyed. Paterson firefighters put out the blaze out within 20 minutes. “There were continuous minor explosions [caused by the ignition of other combustible materials in the garage] . . . after the fire was knocked down,” said Fire Chief James Pasquariello. Eastern Tank assembles and repairs large tank trucks, the kind that transport heating oil, motor fuels, and other corrosive volatile liquids. Acting Prosecutor Boris Moczula said investigators think Giordano was working on a tank with a welding instrument just before the explosion. “Typically there are three compartments in a tanker,” Moczula said. “Two hold the fuel oil, and one is for vapor recovery.” Authorities think Giordano may have cut through the vapor compartment or somehow heated it, igniting the fumes and setting off the explosion. Authorities said Giordano was 51, but property records showed he was born in 1941. A person answering the phone at Giordano’s home Friday night declined to comment. Moczula said eight people worked in the shop. Two employees, 26-year-old Hank Weaver and Fernando Guzman, whose age was unknown Friday, were treated for shock at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Business records list Keith Ora as the company’s manager. Minutes after Paterson firefighters put out the blaze, a small tanker truck sat where Giordano had been working, its front completely charred. The back half of the tanker was blown away. His body lay in front of the garage, covered with white plastic. City officials worried that the oil-tainted water had seeped into sewers. At the scene, Mayor Marty Barnes said Friday’s rain might have been a blessing. “The rain will run through the sewers and flush the oil out. [The weather] is good for this emergency,” Barnes said. He recalled that Eastern Tank had been in business for at least 25 years. Barnes said workers from the Paterson and Passaic County Health Departments were not sure how much oil flowed into the sewers. Repairing and manufacturing the large metal tanks that travel back and forth along interstate highways requires welding large pieces of metal, said a spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The use of welding instruments creates large amounts of friction, heat, and sparks — particularly dangerous in a setting with extremely flammable and combustible materials, such as Eastern Tank. “When you’re melting metal to metal, you do produce quite a bit of heat,” said OSHA Assistant Area Director Ron Frye at the agency’s Hasbrouck Heights office. The fatal accident is the second in Paterson in as many days. On Thursday morning, a house fire swept through a two-family home in the Riverside section, killing a 30-year-old mother who had just immigrated to the United States.
Employees flee steel plant fire
Michael Rutledge, Post staff reporter
MONROE, Ohio – A fast-spreading fire at the Worthington Steel Co. plant destroyed the factory’s pickling bay and left officials uncertain how quickly the employees can return to work. ”Flames were just shooting at us. They were right on us,” said Jason Poter who was in the next bay over from the pickling area when the fire began. ”We ran to the other end of the building,” he said. ”It was moving as fast as we were. It was right on our butts. We ran as hard as we could. I thought my butt was gone.” The fire was reported at 5:04 p.m. and quickly went to seven alarms. ”It happened very fast,” said Monroe Fire Chief Mark Neu. ”They said they called first thing. I looked out my window and saw lots of smoke.” Up to 60 workers had to flee the smoke-filled plant, located in Monroe, 25 miles north of Cincinnati. Thick black smoke poured from the plant and could be seen 10 miles away. ”We are going to ask employees to stay home,” said Jim Ballard, the plant’s manager, who was in Columbus when fire broke out. Employees will be called by company officials. They also can call the plant’s main number for more information, Ballard said. The company hoped to be operating again within weeks, he said, but: ”Right now, we’re really not that sure. We’ve got to assess.” ”Worthington’s always been good to their people,” he said.
The plant, which produces flat-rolled steel, employs 220 persons. It is a division of Worthington Industries, based in the Columbus suburb of Worthington. Worthington Industries is the country’s largest flat-rolled steel processor. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation while an employee suffered burns. Both were treated and released at Middletown Regional Hospital. Neu said today the fire was sparked by an employee who was using a cutting torch to remove the south wall of the plant. That building was left without a roof and walls, and other buildings had smoke damage. Firefighters planned to meet with company officials today to put a dollar estimate on the loss. Towers of dark smoke – fueled partly by chemicals emergency crews feared combined to create highly toxic chlorine gas – prompted crews to evacuate neighboring businesses a half mile to the northwest. No residences were within that range.
The fire devastated one of the plant’s four connected buildings, including the pickling bay, at the plant which slits and cuts steel for use by the automotive industry. A pickling bay is where iron oxide is removed from steel surfaces before further processing. Smoke damage was severe throughout the other buildings, but William Murphy, area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, credited employees’ familiarity with evacuation plans for the lack of worker injuries. About 50 people were working when the fire started. Neu said it was extinguished at 8:45, although his crews were looking for hot spots. Neu and Butler County Emergency Management Director Mark Baden said highly acidic runoff from the plant killed fish nearby. The runoff raised the pH level to 13.5. Fish die in levels as low as 7.5, Baden said. ”It is in Shaker Creek,” Neu said. ”Nothing has reached Dick’s Creek” because crews built temporary dams to stop the water flow. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was summoned to the scene. Murphy said OSHA would visit the plant again today.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Publication date: 08-15-97
© Copyright 1997, The Cincinnati Post. All Rights Reserved.
Notice No. 004
January 9, 1973
OCS Operations Safety Alert Flash Fire–Cutting and Welding
Two flash fires occurred recently on OCS installations. Both fires originated from welding operations.
One of these fires resulted when welding sparks and slag ignited control supply gas which was leaking from an O-ring seal on the actuator of a surface safety valve. The other fire resulted when welding sparks and slag ignited a partially filled drum of methanol. Both fires were controlled immediately by use of portable dry chemical extinguishers. Even though these fires were of short duration and property damage was not significant, there were personnel injuries involved.
The below listed recommendations which resulted from the investigation should be reviewed by all operators for applicability to their particular OCS installations and operational procedures.
1. These documents should be consulted in order to establish procedures and precautions which are necessary in the performance of safe cutting and welding operations. (1) API RP 2009 “Safe Practices in Gas and Electric Cutting and Welding,” (2) National Fire Protection Association Bulletin No. 51B “Cutting and Welding Processes 1971,” (3) Offshore Operators Committee, “Manual of Safe Practices in Offshore Operations.”
2. Prior to performing any cutting or welding outside of an approved fire safe area, a work permit should be obtained from the individual responsible for authorizing the work. Prior to issuing this permit, the work location should be inspected by the responsible individual to insure that the area is safe for cutting and welding operations. Detailed information on the scope of the area inspection may be obtained from the above listed documents.
3. All equipment used in the operation, cutting and welding apparatus, gas and vapor detection equipment, and fire extinguishing equipment, should be maintained in good operating condition.
4. A periodic review of safety precautions relating to cutting and welding operations and a review of firefighting techniques are necessary training for field personnel.
5. Fire extinguishing equipment must be inspected frequently and completely to insure that it will be in working condition when needed.
[signed]Robert F. Evans
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Notice No. 017
November 27, 1974
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Fire–Men Burned
A fire on an offshore production platform recently resulted in serious burns to two men.
The low-pressure system had been taken out of service and the connecting line to the high-pressure system had been left open-ended. The system was being placed back in service when gas flowing from the open-ended line was ignited by welding operations. The two men performing the welding were seriously burned. The fire was extinguished immediately.
To prevent recurrence of this accident, the operator has taken the following action:
1. All open piping, regardless of type, is blind flanged or plugged.
2. All valves not used on a day-to-day basis are locked.
3. Proper planning with a written detail of the work plans is formulated prior to commencing operations.
4. It is ascertained that personnel have proper knowledge of piping and flow schematics before operating the facilities.
5. The appropriate portion of the company operating instruction letter or manual is reviewed.
6. All wells are shut in during welding operations, except those supplying generator gas.
7. All personnel not involved in the welding or cutting are to stay out of the work area.
[signature] D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Field Operations
Gulf of Mexico Area
Notice No. 032
November 14, 1975
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Welding Operation Ignites Condensate
A fire recently occurred on an offshore production platform during welding operations.
The living quarters of a workover rig were being prepared for removal by cutting the holdown welds with a burning torch. Simultaneous with the burning operation water from the living quarters storage tank was being drained into the drain pan under the gas separator on the cellar deck. Condensate in the pan lines was displaced by the water and accumulated in the pan. Slag from the burning operation fell into the drain pan and ignited the condensate. The fire was quickly extinguished, resulting in only minor damage to the platform and no injuries to personnel.
To prevent the recurrence of this type of accident the operator is taking the following action prior to welding operations in addition to following safer welding procedures:
1. Clean all pans and take the blowcase out of service.
2. Recheck all pans for flammable accumulations after draining any fluids into the pan system.
[signed] D.J. Bourgeois for
D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Field Operations
Gulf of Mexico Area
Notice No. 050
November 5, 1976
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Flash Fire — Man Burned
A flash fire recently occurred on an offshore production platform when gas was ignited by a welding lead.
A welder and his helper were preparing to install a flange and personnel walk around on a riser pipe on the side of the structure at the first level above the water. The welding leads had fallen off a cross brace and were being pulled back up by the welder when the electrode arced against the structure. An accumulation of gas coming from a nearby stock tank vent line ignited causing a large flash fire. The helper received third-degree burns on the face and leg. A small residual flame at the vent line opening was quickly extinguished.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident the operator has taken the following action:
All company and contract personnel have been instructed that no welding machines will be started until the supervisor in charge has determined that the area is safe for conducting welding operations.
[signed] Jack Hendricks
for D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Field Operations
Gulf of Mexico Area
Notice No. 054
January 13, 1977
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Welding Fire
A fire occurred recently on an offshore production facilities platform resulting in burns to a welder.
Modifications were underway to a liquid dump line which had been disconnected from an LTX unit and a high-pressure separator. The welder cut into a low portion of the line where condensate fluids had collected. The cutting torch ignited the condensate and the burning fluid fell on the welder’s shirt. The fire was extinguished immediately and the welder received only superficial burns on his chest and stomach.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident the operator has taken the following action:
All field personnel have been instructed to flush thoroughly with water all lines to be cut regardless of whether the cutting is done with pipe cutters, hack saw or welding torches.
[signed] D.J. Bourgeois
for D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Field Operations
Gulf of Mexico Area
Notice No. 078
October 27, 1978
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Explosion and Fire
A welder was using a cutting torch to cut a hole in the top deck of a production platform. The resulting sparks ignited hydrocarbons which had accumulated on the lower deck. The initial flames caused a drum partially filled with paint solvent to explode, thereby spreading the fire rapidly.
Construction was in progress at the time of the incident, so the production operation had previously been shut in. The welder had resumed cutting the deck plate after his lunch break, but failed to notice that the fire watchers had not returned to their stations. If the fire watchers had been on duty, the initial fire would have been routinely extinguished without mishap. The explosion alerted the work crew, and the fire was extinguished with only minor damage to the production deck.
Corrective actions taken by the operator to prevent a recurrence of this type event were:
1. Remove all drums containing flammables from any area, or underneath any area where welding and cutting will be conducted.
2. Remind welders to check and see that fire watchers are on the job.
3. Foreman will check the work area prior to commencing any cutting or welding operations.
As noted in National Fire Prevention Association Bulletin No. 51 B, cutting and welding operations are a major cause of industrial fires. Molten metal and sparks can scatter as far as 35 feet, setting fire to all kinds of combustible materials. It is important that personnel involved in these operations are aware of all established safety precautions.
[signed] H. G. Frizzell
for D.W. Solanas Oil and Gas Supervisor
Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico Area
Notice No. 088
September 10, 1979
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Fire — Men Burned
A flash fire occurred recently on an offshore drilling tender when gas escaped in the cementing room and was ignited by a person lighting a cigarette.
A kill line from the cementing pump was connected to a well on the platform in order to pump into the well and equalize the pressure across a closed sub-surface safety valve. Two men in the cementing room were filling a pump tank when the choke and wing valve on the well were opened. This permitted gas pressure from the well to flow through the kill line to the pump and out an open pump bleed-off valve into the room. One of the men lit a cigarette and a flash fire occurred.
The two men received burns on 20% to 30% of their bodies. There was only minor damage to the cementing room.
To prevent a recurrence of the accident the operator is taking the following action:
1. Rig pump rooms will be posted to prohibit smoking.
2. Gas detectors will be installed in enclosed pump rooms.
3. The cementing system manifold on the rig floor will be modified by adding a block valve with gauges on either side to permit positive control for equalizing when pumping into a well.
4. A check valve will be required in the system when pumping into a live well.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Operations Support
Notice No. 097
June 22, 1980
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Welding — Fire
A fire recently occurred on an offshore production platform during welding operations. Hot slag from a piece of pipe fell through a small opening two feet from the welding operation into the top of an open skimmer tank igniting oil in the tank.
The fire was extinguished quickly. There was no injury to personnel and only slight damage to the platform.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident, the operator is taking the following action:
All deck openings in the vicinity of the welding or cutting operations will be temporarily sealed until operations have been completed.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Deputy Conservation Manager
Offshore Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Notice No. 098
June 20, 1980
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Flash Fire
An air impact wrench was attached by a quick-connect fitting to an instrument gas header on an offshore production platform. The connection previously supplied air before gas production was initiated on the platform. The exhausting gas from the wrench was ignited by a nearby portable grinder and extinguished when the tool trigger was released.
The roustabout received slight burns and there was no damage.
To eliminate a recurrence of this incident, the quick-connect fittings have been removed from the gas header and signs will be installed identifying air and gas lines.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Deputy Conservation Manager
Offshore Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Notice No. 105
July 28, 1981
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Welding Accident
Hot slag from a welder’s torch on an upper deck was blown by the wind into a 2-inch opening in the top of a 500 bbl. capacity stock tank resulting in an explosion and a small fire.
As part of a platform modification process, the 2-inch sump pump discharge line on top of the tank had been disconnected and left open to the atmosphere. When the explosion occurred, the tank’s top section exploded, peeling back more than half of the section. There was damage to the electrical cables and support tray above the tank. There was no injury to personnel. The fire was confined to the tank drip pan and was immediately extinguished.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident, the operator will emphasize the following to its personnel:
1. The importance of communication, work planning, and supervisory control when more than one job is in progress.
2. The importance and sole duty of a fire watch.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Deputy Conservation Manager
Offshore Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Notice No. 110
March 24, 1983
Fire
In the course of running 9-inch casing, a welder on the rig floor started to cut a casing box thread protector out of a joint of casing lying in the V-door. The welder’s torch ignited gas which was migrating from the bell nipple, causing a flash fire which injured a casing crew member who was filling the hole with mud. The annular BOP was closed, and the fire was extinguished with the rig wash down hose.
To prevent recurrence of this type of accident, the operator has strongly re-emphasized to drilling personnel those safety procedures which strictly forbid carrying on hot work in the vicinity of an open well. Additionally, it is recommended that gas sniffers be utilized to properly check hot work areas for combustible gases.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Regional Supervisor
Offshore Operations Support
Notice No.114
July 18, 1983
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Fire
Two contract personnel were cleaning out a plugged drain line to a production platform sump casing using an electric motor driven roto rooter-type device. Fluids which normally flowed through the vertical section of the drain line had been rerouted into the sump casing through an inspection opening normally covered by an inspection plate. Natural gas fumes from within the sump migrated through the open drain line and inspection opening and drifted across the nonexplosion proof electric motor, causing a flash fire and second-degree burns to both personnel.
To prevent a recurrence of this type accident, the operator will use only explosion proof electrical equipment in areas where hydrocarbons may be present.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Regional Supervisor
Offshore Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Notice No. 126
March 27, 1984
Welding/Burning Accidents
The Risk and Safety Analysis Unit of Minerals Management Service’s (MMS) Regional Office for Rules and Production in Metairie, Louisiana, has completed a review and analysis of 90 welding/burning related accidents. These accidents occurred in the Gulf of Mexico between January 1, 1968, and September 30, 1983, and resulted in 18 fatalities and 64 injuries. The major findings of the MMS review are as follows:
1. Welding/burning accidents are more likely to take place on a production platform than on a drilling facility.
2. The welding operations, as opposed to burning operations, pose a greater risk to human life.
3. The two main causes of welding/burning related accidents are: (1) lack of proper site preparation, coordination, and supervision (29 percent), and (2) failure to properly isolate potential sources of fuel and maintain a hazard-free work area (41 percent).
To reduce the risks and hazards associated with welding/burning operations, lessees, operators, and contractors should review their General Welding, Burning, and Hot Tapping Plan and the requirements of OCS Order No. 5, Section 5.4, “Welding and Burning Practices and Procedures.”
All personnel in charge of welding/burning operations, and all personnel performing these operations should be thoroughly familiar with and follow the above plan and requirements.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Regional Supervisor
Rules and Production
Notice No. 129
June 15, 1984
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Welding Explosion and Injury
An all too common human error occurred on the Gulf of Mexico OCS recently causing an injury and some damage.
The accident was caused by a welder attempting to cut the top out of a drum without flushing and filling the drum properly. The drum had warning labels on its side indicating flammable liquid. The drum exploded and threw the welder against the wall of the welding shack.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident, the operation will again stress the company’s welding procedures and instructions. Drums should be flushed with water and left full of water when cutting is necessary.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Regional Supervisor
Rules and Production
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Fire Occurs During Cutting Operation to Install Casing Head
A fire occurred on a production platform during drilling operations while drive pipe and 13 3/8-inch casing were being cut to install the casing head. Slag fell to the lower deck, igniting gas emitting from the level controller on the sump tank. Using a portable dry chemical extinguisher, the fire watch quickly extinguished the fire.
The gas flow to the level controller was cut off, the area was checked with a gas detector, and the sump tank was covered with a wet tarp before the cutting operation was resumed.
No injuries, damage, or pollution occurred.
To prevent a recurrence of this type of accident, the operator will bleed down all equipment in the vicinity and closely monitor the welding and cutting operation.
Welder Burned in Pipeline Accident
In repairing a pipeline, a welder was using a torch to cut a bevel on a 6-inch riser section of pipe. A handset pipe stopple (plumber’s plug) was inserted and vented prior to the cutting procedure. With 1 inch remaining on the cut, the pipe stopple blew out and a flash fire occurred. The welder received third-degree burns to his face and arms.
This accident, along with many others in which a pipe stopple was used to isolate hydrocarbons during a cutting or welding procedure, has come to the attention of the Minerals Management Service (MMS). The MMS recommends the following practices and procedures be enacted during repairs of pipelines and process piping:
1. Piping must be purged with water prior to performing repairs. Special attention should be paid in order to effect the complete displacement of hydrocarbons in the line.
2. A handset pipe stopple is only to be utilized on water or air service pipelines or piping. Consideration should also be given to pressure limitations of this type of plug.
3. Repairs conducted on piping that is or has been in hydrocarbon service and that require pipe plugs should utilize a mechanically set (hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.) plug to effect a more positive seal. These plugs should also be vented to a safe location.
-MMS-