Hotwork Accidents #5
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
Fires at assisted-living complex, apartments roust residents
As smoke floats from the roof of her home, Clara Mae White is lifted over a fire hose as she is taken from the burning building.
GARY GAYNOR/Tucson Citizen
Tucson firefighters battled two unrelated three-alarm fires at an assisted-living complex and an apartment building that displaced dozens of people yesterday, a fire spokesman said. The first fire was reported at 11:08 a.m. while a plumber was doing maintenance work at La Casa de los Leones, 3150 N. Flowing Wells Road, said Battalion Chief Randy Ogden, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman. The fire started when sparks from a welding torch ignited insulation in a wall while the plumber was working on a pipe, Ogden said. He said the plumber, whose name was not available, tried to put the fire out and called 911. The fire spread to the ceiling and attic of the two-story building, he said. About 60 firefighters had the fire under control at 12:28 p.m. Damage was estimated at $400,000 to the structure and $100,000 to content, he said. Thirty-two elderly residents were displaced, and the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross was working with the complex’s management to help everyone find a place to stay, Ogden said. Two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion and one for a cut hand, Ogden said. Another firefighter fell through the fire-weakened roof but was not hurt, Ogden said. Residents, some of whom use wheelchairs, were taken to a church next to the complex, and the Red Cross was called in to help with relocation plans. Fire, water and smoke heavily damaged six apartments, Ogden said. It was not clear when residents would be allowed to return. The second fire was reported at 2:49 p.m. on the North Side at an apartment complex near North Stone Avenue and West River Road. It burned 12 apartment units in the three-story building, Ogden said. The same group of firefighters who fought the earlier fire handled the apartment fire. The fire began as maintenance workers were repairing an air-conditioning unit on a roof, but “we still don’t know exactly how it started,” Ogden said. Twenty-four apartment units were evacuated while 63 firefighters worked to control the fire by 4:19 p.m., said TFD spokesman Capt. Paul McDonough. Apartment units on the first and second floors were heavily damaged. “It was more difficult because it spread into spaces we can’t get to easily, so we had to pull ceilings and get into walls,” he said. “They thought the fires were out, but when they got on the roof and pulled up the red roof tiles, the wood underneath was still smoldering and started burning.” Damage estimates were $300,000 to the structure and $100,000 to content, Ogden said. Dozens of people were displaced and the Red Cross was helping them, he said. McDonough said the firefighters who worked on both fires were relieved for four hours so they could recover after off-duty firefighters were called in. Tucson Citizen staff writer David L. Teibel contributed to this article.
Fire Engulfs Upscale Apartments in Calgary, Canada
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – A spectacular fire roared through an upscale neighborhood near the downtown core of Canada’s oil-industry center on Thursday destroying buildings on several blocks and injuring more than a dozen people. A plume of black smoke rose high into the otherwise cloudless afternoon sky over Calgary from the fire that witnesses said appeared to have begun at a construction site and was quickly spread by flying cinders to nearby occupied buildings. “I heard a lot of screaming and looked out my back deck and there was quite a big fire that started at the new construction site on the corner. All of a sudden it just went, it just went like crazy,” said resident Claudia Odell. Officials did not immediately estimate the cost of the fire, but said as many as 165 apartment units and townhouses were damaged or destroyed in the more than three hours it took firefighters to bring the blaze under control. “The biggest problem is that it spread to three different buildings immediately from the building under construction, so setting up sectors to knock down those fires, and having the appropriate personnel on scene was big,” Calgary Fire Department spokesman John Conley. Thirteen people suffered injuries ranging from broken bones to smoke inhalation, but only two had to be hospitalized. Two of the injured were firefighters. No deaths were reported. Officials said it was fortunate that the fire began in mid-afternoon when many residents of the densely populated area known as Erlton were at work. The cause of the fire had not officially been determined, but witnesses said it appeared to have begun where construction workers were using torches to apply waterproofing material. “That is definitely a possibility and that is one of the things that investigators are looking at right now.” Conley told reporters. A shelter was set up to house displaced residents. Witnesses told a Reuters reporter at last one man ignored the warnings of police and entered a burning building during the fire, saying he had to rescue his luxury car.
Fire burns tires, belts
Blaze started accidentally; $20,000 or more in damage estimated
Charles Ramsay, Mesabi Daily News
HIBBING — A fire that started when workers were using torches in their work spread to truck tires and conveyor belts at a Hibbing business and became a grass fire Sunday, before being put out. About six medium truck-sized tires and 40-50 rolls of new and old conveyor belts were destroyed, causing an estimated $20,000-$40,000 in damage before the blaze was put out at Radko Iron And Supply Inc., 11521 Spudville Road at the Highway 169 intersection, Hibbing Fire Capt. Pat Klobuchar said. State Department of Natural Resources officials called out a CL-215 water scooper plan and helicopter, both based at Hibbing, to assist with the grass fire amid windy conditions, which was put out after burning a half-acre nearby, he said. “He made quite a few water drops,” Klobuchar said of the CL-215 pilot. The call came at 2:36 p.m. Sunday after sparks from workers using cutting torches spread to tires and the belts. Two Hibbing engines and a water tender vehicle responded, along with nine Hibbing firefighters. Chisholm firefighters used two water tender vehicles to relay water to the scene. The last units left the scene by about 7:30 p.m., he said. The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation. DNR units were called in to the fire as there was little else going on around the state otherwise Sunday, said DNR Wildfire Information Center spokesperson Jean Bergerson in Grand Rapids. Saturday there were 10 fires around the state, and the outlook is not the best for low fire conditions. Conditions in Northeastern Minnesota remain “high to very high,” she explained, with no forecasts for precipitation in the next few days. “We’re expecting conditions to be warmer,” she said.
Workmen die in chimney fireball
TWO workmen suspended on a cradle inside a 120ft metal chimney died when they were engulfed in a fireball after a massive explosion. The victims – who have not yet been identified – were working at the Carnaud Metalbox Food UK company in Chew Moor Lane, Westhoughton, at 5pm yesterday when a spark is believed to have ignited a chemical which coated the chimney. The men were knocked out of the cradle by the fireball and plunged to the ground. Their bodies were initially left inside the chimney so that investigators can piece together exactly what happened. The men had been contracted to demolish the chimney, which had been replaced by a new one and is now defunct. Michael Hall, who lives just 200 yards away, watched in horror as the fireball engulfed the structure. He said: “I was working in my office at home and looked out of the window to see the flames. “At first we thought it was just a fire and I took some photographs. It was only later in the evening when the local vicar came round and told us that two men had been killed. “It is horrific, appalling and a terrible thing to happen.” Another local resident, Dave Hemp, 47, was walking to a friend’s house when he noticed the flames as he turned the corner. He said “There didn’t seem to be any bang or loud noise of any sort. But people soon saw the flames at the top of the chimney.” Lisa Joel, 34, also of Chew Moor Lane, said: “There just seemed to be these huge flames going up the side of the chimney. But I had no idea there was anybody in or near it when it was ablaze.” An investigation has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive, which will report on the possible cause later today. Police have not yet released details of the two men because all their next of kin have not been traced, but they are thought to be from Nottingham.
Fire destroys Miller elevator
By: Eric Johnson, of the Plainsman
MILLER – A day after a fire razed the Miller Grain complex, firefighters were still battling smoldering grain Tuesday as high winds posed a threat. While the main blaze had been brought under control, the grain in the elevator was still smoldering Tuesday morning, causing concern with the high wind gusts in the area. Right now we are a little concerned with the high winds,” Miller fire chief Ron Hoftiezer said. “It’s kind of crazy, winds blowing smoke through town.” Miller firefighters were called to the complex, just behind their station, at 3:20 p.m. Monday after sparks from welding sparked grain dust and quickly consumed a majority of the complex, according to Hoftiezer. Ree Heights and Wessington firefighters were called in for support. Lost in the fire were the main elevator, the cleaning system and the main office, as well as most of the grain they had on hand, including millet, milo, sunflower and corn. Damage was extensive, but Miller Grain manager Lloyd Batien was unsure how this will affect Miller Grain’s operations. “We’re still waiting to hear from our insurance company on how it will affect us in the future,” Batien said. Miller Manor, a senior housing facility, was evacuated, with residents moved to the Prairie Good Samaritan Center, and at least three spot fires were discovered throughout town, due to blowing embers. One of the incidents included embers landing on the fire station, as well as some of the vehicles there. The wind is temporarily halting salvage efforts for fear that any action of that kind could rekindle the blaze. DM&E is also checking on possible damage on the rails from the heat. Firefighters remained at Miller Grain, located on the south end of Miller on the west side of Highway 45, throughout the day Tuesday to make sure the blaze didn’t flare up again. Hoftiezer did say that firefighters were able to save some of the grain bins from destruction. Considering all that was lost in the fire, Batien considered themselves lucky. “We were very fortunate,” he said. “No lives were lost.”
One injured in explosion at Master Electric
By Lori Carlson, Staff Writer
One person was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns after an explosion occurred at a Savage industrial business on Wednesday (May 15). A 300-gallon oil barrel exploded at 3:37 p.m. in a maintenance garage at Master Electric Co., 12467 Boone Ave. An employee reportedly was welding metal in the same stall just before the explosion. Joel Borchardt, 40, of Prior Lake suffered second-degree burns and was taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He was in stable condition. One other person was standing at the back of the garage at the time but was not injured. Employees were working in an adjoining office building when the explosion occurred, but no one else was injured. The business, in an industrial area south and west of Highway 13, is surrounded by residential property. A resident of a home across the street heard the explosion and saw a ball of fire, said Amy Barnett, communications coordinator for the city. An employee extinguished the fire and no flames were visible when firefighters arrived. Tim O’Laughlin, Scott County’s deputy emergency management director, said there was some concern the oil spilled following the explosion could be washed toward nearby Eagle Creek by a light rain. He said crews blocked sewers in the area and were working to contain the oil spill until a private company arrived to clean up the spill under the supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On Thursday, Fire Chief Joel McColl said the oil cleanup crew worked until 1 a.m. and successfully cleaned up the area.
Fire damages Carson City home
by Susie Vasquez, Appeal Staff Writer
A fire in an upstairs bathroom left one man slightly injured and caused about $20,000 in damage to a house at 1513 Evan St. in Carson City. Carson City Batallion Chief Stacey Giomi said a contractor was soldering some copper pipes in one of the upstairs bathrooms with a small hand torch when the paper backing on the insulation caught fire, spreading between the walls and into the attic. The contractor, employed with Finch Construction, burned his hand. Both bathrooms and the attic space were damaged, but firefighters were able to prevent extensive damage to the bedrooms and the rest of house. According to Giomi, the first floor incurred some limited smoke damage. “It was just material stuff,” said homeowner Dave Hanson. ” The dogs and my family are out safely and that’s all I care about.” Two engines, two rescue units and a command officer responded to the 9:30 a.m. blaze, which was under control by 9:42 a.m.
Fire breaks out at DOT building
By KEITH EDWARDS Staff Writer, Blethen Maine Newspapers
AUGUSTA – A fire in the basement of the state Department of Transportation building Friday forced construction workers to evacuate. The building is vacant because the approximately 550 state DOT workers who might have been there were relocated to temporary offices in Winthrop while the building is being renovated. Damage was minimal, officials said, because the materials that burned were being torn out and replaced anyway. Officials said the fire was started by construction workers using a blow torch to remove old heating and ventilation ducts from the basement of the building between Capitol and Child streets. Flames from the torch caught insulation and plastic wiring on fire. Construction workers used fire extinguishers to suppress the flames until firefighters arrived to douse the blaze. The flames were out quickly but smoke lingered in the building following the fire, which occurred at about 9:30 a.m. “It was out in minutes, but it’s been about an hour and we’re still here trying to get the smoke out,” Augusta Battalion Chief Roger Audette said. “The fire was in the basement where there are no windows and only a few doors, so it’s very difficult to get the smoke out of the building.” Audette praised the actions of the construction workers of H.E. Sargent, the contractor renovating the building, and credited their safety plan to helping prevent any injuries or significant damage. “They had a safety plan in effect and followed it,” he said of the workers. “They evacuated the building, they isolated the area, and they had people here guiding us exactly where we needed to go.” The concrete building was empty of everyone but construction workers because DOT offices have temporarily been relocated to the former Carleton Woolen Mill building on Route 202 in Winthrop. They were moved out to allow for the renovation of the Augusta building to improve air quality. It is getting a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system because the building has been plagued with bad air, which some employees blamed for headaches. The department has a two-year lease to use the former Carleton building while the Augusta building is renovated. The DOT building opened in the early 1970s.
Fire strikes Pioneer plant, minor damage reported
By EMILY GAUMER, Courier staff writer
HEDRICK — The only visible signs of damage from Friday morning’s fire to Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.’s Hedrick facility corn cob discard bin were the burn marks on the top of the roof. And while the damage was minimal and contained to the one building, the incident could have been far worse had the nearly 4.5 feet of grain dust in the bin ignited. “That is the most explosive thing known to man. We cut a hole in the top of the roof, so that the oxygen can breathe,” said Hedrick Fire Chief Ron Spurlock. The smell of smoke by employees early Friday first alerted Pioneer officials that something was wrong. “The repair and maintenance employees smelled smoke in the building at about 7:30 a.m. and immediately evacuated and the fire department was immediately called.” said Ron Donohue, Pioneer Hi-Bred plant manager. A small amount of discard material caught fire, melting some insulation, but according to plant officials was contained at the bottom of a corn cob discard bin. There were three or four employees working in the building working at the time. Donohue said all employees were safe and accounted for Friday morning. “The building is made of steel and concrete, no wood and there is no equipment housed in the building,” he said. The difficulty that fire crews from the Hedrick Volunteer Fire Department faced when arriving at the scene was the inability to reach the top of the building in order to fight the fire. The Ottumwa Fire Department was then called to bring their hook and ladder truck, which had the capability to reach the top of the 65-foot building which is how crews initially entered to battle the blaze. Once at the top of the structure, Hedrick firefighters and the Ottumwa Fire Department Snorkel Unit cut a four by six hole in the top of the building in order to pump water into the building. Firefighters decided against going in through the bottom of the structure due to the risk for explosion. Once the smoldering had subsided, electricians and fire crews restored power to the building, which had initially been cut for the protection of the firefighters, in order to open the hydraulic doors. The open doors released the smoldering material so that fire crews on the ground could extinguish it. Clouds of a red dust blew out from the opening, at one time causing the small fire ball to appear, but was quickly extinguished by the waiting firefighters. Preliminary reports from fire officials state the fire began in the middle of construction and maintenance work, igniting the insulation and walls. “They were precutting torches; working to rebuild a catwalk,” Spurlock said. A final cause and damage estimates have yet to be determined and officials hope to know more by next week. “First of all we are going to determine what caused the fire and then we are going to repair as much as possible,” Donohue said. Construction on the building began in 1981 and was completed in 1982. The plant which provides seed corn and soybeans to farmers and dealers all across the Midwest, is located on Iowa Highway 149, about 15 miles north of Ottumwa. According to Donohue, operations from the Hedrick facility will not be slowed because of Friday’s fire. Besides Hedrick and Ottumwa, firefighters from Ottumwa Rural, Fremont, Richland and Sigourney responded to the scene.
Port Townsend: Pier fire extinguished
2002-05-15
by JENNIFER JACKSON
PORT TOWNSEND — A fire on the downtown Thomas Oil pier Tuesday is being blamed on an alleged illegal salvaging operation. According to Fire Department officials, unknown individuals were allegedly attempting to steal metal boat cleats from the dilapidated dock when the blaze broke out. “It was started by somebody using a cutting torch to remove some boat cleats,” Fire Department Lt. John Franklin said.Firefighters were dispatched to the downtown property — currently owned by the Northwest Maritime Center — at 12:11 p.m. when employees of Puget Sound Express, 431 Water St., reported smoke coming from the end of the adjacent pier. Firefighters waited until the department’s new fire boat arrived before walking out to the blaze on the pier, which is rotten in places.
Spark from torch likely ignited fire
Heroics of airport official praised; Officials say sparks were hidden
By Harold Reutter and Carol Bryant , The Independent
Central Nebraska Regional Airport Manager Bill Stovall called Larry Hobbs, the airport’s operations manager, a hero for his quick actions in responding to the three-alarm fire that destroyed a Great Lakes maintenance hangar Tuesday night. Fire Marshal Chuck Hoffman issued a preliminary report on the cause of the fire early Wednesday evening. “We believe at this point that the cause of the fire was sparks from a cutting torch,” Hoffman said. The cutting torch was being used as part of renovation work on the hangar. Stovall said employees of Sentinel Construction in Grand Island had been working at the hangar for approximately 10 days installing a new bi-fold door. “They were in the process of stripping the frame off the face of the building, getting rid of tracking devices and putting on new doors,” Stovall said. The projected cost to replace the doors was $101,000. Hoffman said the torch was not in use at the time of the fire because the renovation work was finished for the day. He said construction methods used during the time when the hangar was built allowed some small spaces or voids in parts of the building. “We believe the sparks went into some of the construction voids — places where you can’t see very well,” Hoffman said. Specifically, the sparks got into the attic space of the hangar. He said the renovation contractor took precautions, having water available while work was being done. Hoffman said sparks sometimes can get into the building spaces and go out. He said it might have been possible that the sparks were fanned into flame only when winds came up late in the afternoon on Tuesday. Stovall praised Hobbs ‘ actions after spotting the fire. “He saw some smoke coming from the northeast corner,” Stovall said. “It was a little gray stream of smoke. He was a hero because he got everyone out of the building.” Stovall said there were three or four people in the building when Hobbs spotted the fire. By the time everybody was evacuated from the building, there was no opportunity to move the two planes in the hangar. Hobbs called the airport’s Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter (ARFF) truck, which is commonly called the crash rescue truck, to fight the fire, Stovall said. “It has 1,500 pounds of foam and water.” While getting the crash rescue truck to the fire, Hobbs simultaneously called 911 to have the Grand Island Fire Department respond to the scene, Stovall said. He said Hobbs did not try to have the crash rescue truck fight the fire first, then call 911 later. Hobbs called 911 immediately. “We rely on the Grand Island Fire Department,” Stovall said. “They did an excellent job.” Diana Guerrero, a senior service agent for Federal Express just west of Hangar 115, was at work Tuesday night when the fire was discovered. She said someone from the hangar ran in the office and used the phone. “He said the whole building was engulfed in flames. By the time we looked, some of the flames were coming out of the building,” Guerrero said. “Right away, they told us there were two planes inside. They told us everybody was out of the building. You could feel the heat inside our windows.”
UPDATE, Fatal Explosion and Fire Lead To Over $71,000 In Proposed Fines For Worcester Company
SPRINGFIELD , Mass. — The death of a welder in a Worcester , Mass. , explosion and fire has led to $71,250 in proposed fines against his employer for failing to protect workers against the hazards of flammable vapors during cutting and welding operations. TS Truck Service, Inc., a commercial fuel delivery firm located at 22 Eskow Road , has been cited by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged willful and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following the Dec. 17 fatality. On that day, an employee who was welding atop a delivery truck’s fuel tank died after flammable vapors inside the tank ignited, causing an explosion and fire that engulfed him. OSHA’s inspection found that the company allowed the welding to proceed without first ensuring that the tank and its piping had been cleaned thoroughly enough to eliminate any flammable materials or substances which could produce flammable vapors, according to Ronald E. Morin, OSHA area director for central Massachusetts . “This is a critical safety precaution that was not followed even though it was required and the employer was well aware of it,” said Morin. “As a result, we are citing this item as willful, the most severe category of OSHA citation, and proposing a $49,000 fine.” An additional $22,250 in fines is proposed for seven alleged serious violations, including: failure to have an authorized person inspect the work area for fire hazards before welding; failing to properly cover or locate flammable and combustible materials at least 35 feet from welding operations; not having suitable fire extinguishing equipment present and immediately available for use during welding; failure to suitably train workers; electrical outlets, lighting and fans that were not approved for a hazardous location; no fall protection for an employee working atop a 10-foot, 6-inch high truck tank; and inadequate training for forklift operators. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. A serious violation is one where there is a substantial probability that death or serious harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. TS Truck Service, Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Springfield , Mass. , area office. The telephone number is 413-785-0123. The information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (617) 565-2072. TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) Message Referral Phone: 800-347-8029.
Raging fire destroys 100-foot yacht at Davie marina
sun-sentinel.com, Posted May 7 2002 , 3:32 PM EDT
DAVIE – Firefighters were battling a huge fire aboard a luxury yacht at a riverside marina Tuesday afternoon. The three-alarm fire aboard the 100-foot-long dry-docked boat at Bradford Marine Inc., 3051 State Road 84, was reported around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday. Since then two firefighters have been reported injured, both stunned in a flashover while trying to enter the yacht in the early stages of the blaze, said Davie Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Joe Rivero. Both men were sent to an area hospital for observation. Rivero said firefighters believe welding work on the yacht may have started the fire. A county fire official said the boat still had diesel fuel aboard when it caught fire. The blaze, which firefighters expect to consume the entire vessel, created extremely heavy smoke and flame as it burned along the banks of the New River . The blaze quickly grew from a one alarm to a two alarm blaze, then a three alarm as flames began covering most of the yacht. Thick plumes of smoke shot into the air for almost an hour. Davie Fire Rescue was the lead agency. Called in to help battle the blaze were Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, and units from Broward Fire Rescue, Port Everglades, Hollywood and Cooper City . Several local and network television networks showed firefighters battling the fire. The luxury yacht was reported to be worth more than $4 million. Details of the fire were not immediately available.
Man dies following blaze
By Jeff Tucker
A Westville man collapsed as firefighters battled a blaze at his home Sunday and later died of a heart attack. The 41-year-old man, whose identity was being withheld Sunday night pending notification of the family, collapsed while standing with firefighters and later died at St. Anthony Memorial Health Centers. “He was complaining of having a dizzy spell, and then he collapsed. I was right by his side when he fell down,” said Ed Forney, Westville Community Volunteer Fire Department chief. “The homeowner ended up having a heart attack on the scene. They worked on him on the way to the hospital.” The victim was transported to St. Anthony Memorial, where he was pronounced dead. Hospital officials declined to confirm the fatality Sunday, but Brian Wood, deputy coroner with the LaPorte County Corner’s office, confirmed the victim died at the hospital of cardiac arrhythmia, a form of a heart attack. The results of toxicology tests are pending, Wood said. Forney said the Westville native, whom Forney knew for many years, was alone at his home in the 100 block of Plain Street when authorities responded to a structure-fire call at about 2:27 p.m. Forney said the fire was caused by a propane torch the man was using for an unknown reason. He said the fire caused minor damage to the home and was contained to the attic area. Forney said he knew the man, describing him as a Westville native who graduated from Westville High School with Forney’s older brother. The Westville Police Department was first to arrive on the scene. Firefighters from the Cass-Clinton, Coolspring and Noble volunteer fire departments assisted Westville firefighters. The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department and LaPorte County Emergency Medical Service also responded.
Sparks cause fire at depot
By John Martin, Staff Writer
Errant sparks from a welder’s arc apparently set off a bonfire of trash and old railroad ties at the Columbus & Greenville Railway depot in Greenwood late Wednesday morning. The flames rose high above the depot property near the intersection of U.S. 82 and the C&G line, sending smoke north toward Greenwood Leflore Hospital. No injuries were reported. The Greenwood Fire Department arrived at the scene around 11:30 a.m. and extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes. Gusty wind carried the sparks to a patch of grass, and the fire spread to the trash pile, said Chief Fire Inspector Terry Ricks. Welding in an unprotected area during high winds is discouraged, he said. “Sometimes when the wind blows up it’ll blow sparks, and when they get near something highly combustible it’s going to go.” The depot yard is scattered with rusty 55-gallon steel drums and railroad ties coated in creosote, a combustible material. “Creosote is really a fuel that they put on cross ties,” said Fire Chief Larry Griggs. “Once those ties start burning, it’s really hard to put them out.”
Welding blast burns man
04/25/02, By KEHN GIBSON
A Poe Valley man welding on a fuel tank that had sat empty for a year was severely burned Wednesday afternoon when fumes in the tank exploded, damaging a nearby shop and starting a small fire. Vernon Bonner, 58, was listed today in critical condition in Portland’s Legacy Emmanuel Hospital with second- and third-degree burns over 73 percent of his body, a spokeswoman said. Bonner was flown to the Portland hospital late Wednesday afternoon after being taken first to Merle West Medical Center by ambulance. The accident happened shortly before noon on a farm owned by Dave and Margeanne Oxley at 24550 South Poe Valley Road. Oxley, who was working near Malin when the accident happened, said Bonner had been working for about a year at the farm. He was semi-retired, and a good man, Oxley said Wednesday evening. I told him to set his own schedule, and I’d give him projects to do. We got along great. Oxley said Bonner had been attempting to weld a hook onto the top of the fuel tank so it could be moved easily. The explosion destroyed a welding machine, the fuel tank and a flatbed trailer it had been sitting on, and blew out windows in a nearby shop, Oxley said. In addition, an end of the exploding tank was thrown into the building’s eave, damaging it, Oxley said. Although the dollar damages were estimated by Oxley at between $5,000 and $7,000, he said the loss didn’t compare to what happened two years ago. In 2000, Oxley said, he lost a barn worth more than $200,000 to a fire that injured no one. Wednesday’s explosion hit Oxley a lot harder, he said. I feel terrible because this happened to him, and it didn’t have to, Oxley said. There’s no such thing as an empty gas tank, and Vernon is experienced enough to know that.
Dueling lawsuits filed over fatal tank explosion
By:Brenda Fullick
Two lawsuits have been filed in connection with the April 7, 2000, explosion that killed Winterset firefighter Jimmy Griffith and Robert Perrin, one of the men who had been disassembling fuel tanks with a blow torch. Both sides say the other side started the litigation battle. On one side, a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of firefighter Clayton Allen against Charles Abell and the estate of Robert Perrin. The suit alleges that Abell and Perrin were negligent because they failed to properly prepare the tanks for salvage. On the other side, the families of Abell and Perrin are suing the Winterset Volunteer Fire Department and the city of Winterset, alleging that the fire department was negligent in failing to warn those present that the tanks at 815 E. North St. were not safe. Legally, the lawsuits had to be filed before the two-year anniversary of the disaster. This year, April 7 fell on a Sunday; both of these 11th-hour suits were filed on Friday, April 5. Winterset lawyer Zane Blessum, lead attorney for the Abell and Perrin families, said Tuesday that their suit against the city was a defensive, just-in-case move. “They were under the impression they were going to get sued, so I made sure they were protected,” Blessum said. But Allen said his lawsuit against the Abell and Perrin families was filed to protect the fire department. “I am not going to let [Abell] sit around and sue the fire department when we did what we were trained to do,” Allen said. “We did our job.” Abell and Perrin should have prepared the tanks by pumping them full of carbon monoxide, which would have averted an explosion, Allen said. Abell should not be allowed to profit financially from the explosion that resulted from his mistake, Allen said. “He’s the one that had the cutting torch,” Allen said. “He’s suing because he doesn’t want to work the rest of his life.” The Madisonian attempted to contact Abell, but a woman at his Macksburg home said he would not comment. Blessum filed his lawsuit on behalf of Charles and Desiree Abell of Macksburg, Wilma Perrin of Macksburg, and the estate of Robert Perrin (with Wilma Perrin as executor). Named as defendants in the suit are the fire department, former Fire Chief Dale Cleghorn, the city of Winterset, Connie Marker of Osceola, Kent White of Woodburn, and Merrill Hitchcock of Winterset. The Abell/Perrin suit alleges that property owners Marker and White used Hitchcock to hire Robert Perrin and Charles Abell to dismantle two fuel tanks at 814 E. North St. After Perrin and Abell began working that April 7, they sparked a grass fire. The volunteer fire department was called to extinguish the fire. While the firefighters were still on the scene, Abell again began to cut a tank with a blowtorch. Abell and Perrin’s suit alleges that Fire Chief Cleghorn told Abell to resume cutting. At that point, the tank exploded. (Allen maintains that, actually, Cleghorn ordered the men to stop cutting and put the blowtorch away. “I was right there. I heard the conversation,” Allen said.) The suit argues that the city, the fire department and the fire chief were negligent because the firefighters did not identify the contents of the tanks and did not warn people that cutting had resumed. The suit says that Abell has past and future medical expenses, as well as a loss of past and future earnings. It maintains that Desiree Abell suffered from the loss of Charles’ companionship because of his injuries. And the suit lists the death of Perrin as an expense to his estate. It states that the estate suffered the loss of his medical expenses, funeral expenses, past and future wages, as well as Perrin’s pain and suffering, and his “past and future enjoyment of life.” Other attorneys working with Blessum are Arnold Kenyon III of Creston and Donald Beattie of Pleasant Hill. A llen, his wife Laurie, and his oldest child, Logan, are listed as plaintiffs in a suit handled by attorney Patrick Hopkins of West Des Moines. The suit seeks damages from Charles Abell and Wilma Perrin, as executor of Robert Perrin’s estate. Also listed as defendants in the Allen lawsuit are a string of people and businesses that have owned the property and fuel tanks through the years. They are: Hunter Enterprises (formerly Hunter Oil). Oil & Gas (with officers James Bussanmas and Sharon and Frank Hawk of Norwalk). That company was dissolved in December 1994. J.F.V. Corp. (with officers Sharon and Frank Hawk), which was dissolved in August 1998. Marker. White. The suit contends that each of the former owners failed to properly drain the fuel tanks, vent them, warn the public of the danger, or warn the buyers in writing of the potential risks. The suit claims that J.F.V. Corp. abandoned the property and storage tanks in 1996, allowing them to be sold at a tax sale. The suit claims that White bought the property and tanks in September of 1999, placing the real estate in Marker’s name. Perrin and Abell were later hired to take apart the old fuel tanks. Allen’s suit accuses Perrin and Abell of failing to identify the tank contents, failing to empty the tanks, and failing to warn people in the area that the tanks were not safe. The fire department had every reason to assume that Abell and Perrin had taken the proper precautions because this was their professional business, Allen said. According to Allen, he was incapacitated for seven months and still has limited motion in his arm because of the explosion. However, Allen said he never would have filed his lawsuit if the Abell and Perrin families hadn’t filed theirs.
Brooklyn Explosion Injures 3
Martin Mbugua
Two construction workers and a third man were injured yesterday when a natural gas explosion tore through a house in East New York, Brooklyn, and set it ablaze, officials said. The 3:30 p.m. blast was caused by workers using a welding flame in the basement of a two-story frame house on Hemlock St. that was under renovation, officials said. “They believed the gas was shut off, but the gas was still on,” said James Spollen, a Fire Department spokesman. “They created a source of ignition and there was an explosion and heavy damage to the building. This is an accidental situation.” The two workers suffered first- and second-degree burns and were taken to Weill Hospital Cornell Medical Center, where they were listed in stable condition last night, police said. The third man sustained minor burns and was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. It was not immediately clear if he lived in the house. None of the victims’ names was released. Sharon Haywood, 27, who lives on the same block, said she was reading a book when she heard an explosion. “It sounded like a house was crashing into ours but my daughter came running in and said it was thunder,” Haywood said. “I went outside. I saw what happened. There was a fire.”
Welder’s torch sets business ablaze
By Paul Leakan, BCT staff writer
Tabernacle firm sustains damage
TABERNACLE – A welder’s torch sparked a fire that ravaged a trailer and ripped through a trailer repair business here yesterday morning, fire officials said. The blaze broke out at the Weldone Trailer Repair building on Route 206 at about 7:15 a.m. , according to Burlington County Fire Marshal Bob Rose. At that time, workers were repairing a cargo box trailer in a garage at the building when a welder’s torch accidentally ignited some foam insulation in the roof of the trailer, Rose said. Workers attempted to put out the fire and pulled the trailer out of the building to keep the flames from spreading, Rose said. The blaze, however, spread to the roof of the steel-frame building as the burning insulation in the trailer gave off a large amount of heat and thick, black smoke, Rose said. Emergency medical technicians treated the owner of Weldone and an employee for smoke inhalation at the scene, Rose said. Fire crews from the Medford Farms Volunteer Fire Co. in Tabernacle, the Indian Mills Volunteer Fire Co. in Shamong, the Vincent Volunteer Fire Co. in Southampton , the Hampton Lakes Volunteer Fire Co. in Southampton and the Ewansville Volunteer Fire Co. from Eastampton responded to the blaze. Firefighters gained control of the fire in about 20 minutes, Rose said. “They made a good aggressive attack on it and were able to knock it down pretty quick,” he said. About half of the steel-frame building suffered damage, primarily in the roof, Rose said. The trailer suffered extensive damage but may be salvaged for parts, he said. While one portion of the building is not usable, the fire should not result in the closing pf Weldone’s entire operation, Rose said. Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Welding spark suspected in fire
By LES TRACEY, Bulletin Staff Writer
A three-day investigation could turn up no official cause for the fire at the Pine Products plant, but the Henry County fire marshal said Tuesday a spark that fell into sawdust probably started the blaze. “We have ruled it (the cause) officially as undetermined,” said Fire Marshal Rodney Howell. “There’s not enough facts there to rule beyond a reasonable doubt about the cause. But we believe the cause was an errant spark from a welding operation that found its way into some sawdust.” Welders were working at the plant on Carver Road until noon Saturday, and the fire was reported at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Howell said. That time span is not unusual, he added. “The spark will fall into sawdust and burn a small hole,” he said. “Then the sawdust on top will fall down into the hole and encapsulate it, so heat can’t escape. The heat continues to build until it hits a pocket of air. The process can go on for several hours.” Although no official cause will be recorded, the fire was an accident, Howell said. Ron Wood, president of Pine Products, said the insurance adjuster also visited the plant Tuesday and agreed with Howell’s determination. Since the investigation was complete, the employees started cleaning up the site about noon , he said. “We should be cleaned up in a couple or three days and start back,” he said. “Still, we’ll be out for four to six weeks, at least.” The fire affected the production building, which is where the lumber is finished and packaged for shipping, Wood said. While operations are down, the plant still will produce lumber, but it will be held until the finishing operation can be rebuilt, he said. “We’ll still be manufacturing, but we’ll just hold onto it,” he said. “We’ll probably have about twice our normal inventory during this time. Then we’ll have to work overtime to get it finished.” Pine Products was founded in 1992 when it bought the former Doyle Lumber Co., and Wood said this will be the longest time period the plant has had to cease operations. “We’ve been running steady for almost 10 years,” he said. When operations continue after the rebuilding, he said everyone will be more careful about sparks. “I think we did everything we could have,” he said. “Every safety procedure was followed, that I know of. Certainly everyone will be more careful. But this was just one of things that happens. It was an accident.”
Explosion Rocks Street In Berkeley , California
Three construction workers were taken to the hospital after an explosion at a five-unit house in Berkeley , California yesterday. Assistant Fire Chief David Orth said it appears the accident happened when sparks from drilling hit diesel fuel that had been sprayed on wood forms during foundation work. The three construction workers were taken to Alta Bates Summit hospital. Two were treated and released and the third was under observation for first and second degree burns, said a hospital spokeswoman. A fourth man was also injured in the blast but was not taken to the hospital. The explosion did not damage the structure of the building.
Welder’s spark ignites minor fire at CP Kelco
By HERMAN BROWN / 4-18-02
A welder’s spark touched off a fire Wednesday morning at the CP Kelco plant on West 20th Street in Okmulgee . The fire shut down production and led to the evacuation of a majority of the plant’s 210 employees. Luckily, the fire proved to be minor, according to Steve Zapoticzny, CP Kelco’s director of Environmental, Safety & Health. “No one was injured,” Zapoticzny said. “We evacuated all of our employees as a precaution. Everyone is accounted for.” An OFD employee said the call came in at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday. Three fire trucks were dispatched to the plant. They arrived a short time later and attacked the blaze, which started on the first floor. Zapoticzny explained how the fire started: “We had an outside welding contractor here. As he was welding, one of the sparks contacted some of our product inside one of our walls. This happened in our finishing area, where we are drying our product. So it’s only our product (damaged). Some of that was contacted by the welding spark. But the chemicals, as far as we use, are nowhere near there.” The wall inside the building began to burn. That’s when CP Kelco immediately called the Okmulgee Fire Department and evacuated their employees. “They (employees) were all brought out, to a safe location,” the spokesman said. “There is a muster point right out in the parking lot.” CP Kelco’s production equipment was not damaged by the fire. The only ‘loss’ was minor fire damage to the wall area where the fire burned. “The fire never got out of control,” explained Zapoticzny. “It’s just in one of the walls in there, so now the fire department is going in through the roof because the wall goes all the way up to the roof. They are making sure that the cavity between the walls, that we get everything out.” “The fire is controlled,” he said at about 11 a.m. . “They are trying to make sure the smoldering is totally contained and we don’t have a problem later today.” The workers were expected to remain there until the OFD finished snuffing the fire. “Until we get this totally taken care of, we are playing on the safe side,” Zapoticzny said. “Once the fire department gives us the OK, then we’ll let our employees go back on production.” The following information is on the CP Kelco website, detailing the Okmulgee operation: CP Kelco, located in Okmulgee , Oklahoma , is the largest bio-fermentation production plant in the world. It is nestled on a 95 acre site in the 1200 block of West 20th Street . The plant was commissioned in January of 1977 and now employs approximately 200 people. The principle product of the Okmulgee plant is xanthan gum. It is capable of making other biopolymers as well. The process for “growing” xanthan gum requires special technology in fermenting highly viscous broths. Products produced in Okmulgee are shipped around the world and serve the food, pharmaceutical, industrial and oilfield markets. The CP Kelco plant in Okmulgee is one of Okmulgee county’s largest employers. Its annual payroll is in excess of $10 million per year, which has a tremendous impact on Okmulgee . In addition to its payroll, the plant spends approximately $18 million per year in Oklahoma .
Crews fight Hippodrome blaze
Apr 18 2002
Firefighters fought for seven hours last night to put out a blaze buried under the stage area of the partly demolished Hippodrome building in Coventry. A fire crew from Radford Road was travelling along Coventry ring road at 12.20am when they saw a large plume of black smoke rising from the roof of the building – also home to the old Gala bingo hall – on Hales Street. Firefighters discovered part of the 1936 Art Deco building’s roof had collapsed over the former stage area inside and the blaze – fuelled by tar and timber from the roof – was buried deep inside the building. Station officer Kevin Rogers said: “It’s very hazardous in there with bits of roof and scaffolding falling down and because of this we withdrew and tied off the jets inside to fight the fire. Since the purpose of the tar roof is to keep water out it’s a bit of a devil to put out the fire and the collapsed roof above the stage area has been acting like a big chimney.” It is believed the fire could have been started by hot cutting machines.A civic square and millennium clock are due to replace the hall as part of the Phoenix Initiative which aims to transform the city between Holy Trinity Church in Broadgate and the Museum of British Road Transport in Hales Street.
UPDATE, Holiday complex fire probe blames workmen
A FIRE which caused millions of pounds worth of damage to a holiday park was caused by workmen, it was claimed today. The blaze at the Center Parcs complex in Elveden, Suffolk, on April 4, started on a roof above a catering area, said Suffolk Fire Service.A spokesman said that contractors working on the roof tried to contain the blaze but were unable to prevent it spreading.The spokesman said: “The investigation by Suffolk Fire Service has revealed that the fire was caused by contractors working on a roofed area. “The investigation report reveals that the fire began on the flat roof above a catering area. “It broke through the wall of Huckleberry’s restaurant and was too well developed for the firefighting efforts of the Center Parcs fire response team.”Contractors working on the roof and a Center Parcs fire response team attempted to contain the fire but were unable to prevent it spreading until much of the flat-roofed area was alight.” Hundreds of firefighters, including crews from neighbouring counties, were called to fight the blaze.Malcolm Alcock, Suffolk ‘s chief fire officer, praised the efforts made by Center Parcs’ staff after the blaze broke out. He said: “It is clear that the efficient actions of their staff to alert the fire brigade quickly and initiate their emergency fire procedures ensured that everyone was successfully evacuated and nobody was hurt. “I cannot praise the fire crews enough. “This was a demanding fire which tested everybody to their limits. “It is a tribute to their endurance and professionalism that so much of the structure was saved and that the fire did not spread through the surrounding woodland.”
Two men escape explosion at garage
ROBERT F. MOORE, Staff Writer, Charolotte Observer
Two men working in or near a garage in northern Charlotte escaped injury Monday after several rapid explosions sent black smoke dozens of feet into the air. Smoke could be seen from nearby Interstate 85 beginning about 3:30 p.m. Closer to the scene, witnesses said people screamed and ran for cover after the accidental fire. “It sounded like firecrackers going off,” said James Moretz, who was working in a nearby office. Emergency workers raced to the scene, fearing someone might have been trapped in the building near Graham Street . In addition to 30 or so firefighters, Medic sent six crews and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police sent several officers to Atlantic Technical Services, at 2452 Allen Road South . Firefighters were met by smoke and debris propelled from the building. Minutes later, after firefighters ducked and retreated, the roof and at least one wall collapsed. No one was inside the company’s tractor trailer maintenance garage when firefighters arrived. No one was injured. Firefighters doused the blaze and potential hot spots for at least two hours. They packed up their equipment just before 6 p.m. Fire officials said the blaze caused about $300,000 in damage. One of the workers was welding on part of a tractor trailer. Sparks ignited nearby wood, officials said. The fire spread to several containers of flammable liquid, including acetaline, propane and oxygen.
S.A. Int’l Airport Fire Injures 3
Three people were injured and 60 passengers were evacuated Monday morning after fire broke at San Antonio International Airport . The victims were treated for smoke inhalation and the evacuations were carried out as a precaution, Lara Uselding, an airport spokeswoman said. The blaze, which broke out at 11 a.m. near gate three in terminal one, was contained quickly by airport firefighters and the San Antonio Fire Department. “It didn’t look like it was too bad,” Uselding said. The fire was blamed on a spark from a welder’s torch in a concession area that’s being remodeled and expanded. In addition to the evacuations, a Southwest Airlines jet was ordered to leave the gate and passengers were not allowed to go past the security checkpoint. A number of flights were delayed, Uselding said. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
UPDATE, Survivor of Motiva fire first to sue company
Motiva Enterprises is facing its first lawsuit from a survivor of the refinery fire that killed Jeffrey Davis of Fairless Hills and injured eight others, including Kenneth Creamer of Levittown . DELAWARE CITY, Del. (AP) – Motiva Enterprises is facing its first lawsuit from a survivor of the refinery fire that killed Jeffrey Davis of Fairless Hills and injured eight others, including Kenneth Creamer of Levittown. In the suit, John Beaver of New Castle alleges Motiva allowed “negligent, reckless, willful and wanton” safety failures before a sulfuric acid tank collapsed and caught fire on July 17. The accident still is under investigation. Motiva spokesman Spiros Mantzavinos told The (Wilmington) News Journal that the company had not yet seen the lawsuit filed last week in Superior Court and could not comment. When the accident happened, Beaver was caught in a cloud of acid as he struggled to drive his truck away from a nearby pile of refining wastes. Co-workers dragged him from the fire after his truck stalled. The lawsuit says Beaver was exposed to the acids and suffered permanent respiratory and brain damage, uncontrolled sweating and swelling, depression and other injuries. He is seeking an unspecified amount of money for damages, in addition to punitive damages. His attorney declined to comment. The lawsuit accuses Motiva of ignoring warnings that the tank was unsafe and said the company had a history of corrosion and leaks. The tank accident spilled nearly 660,000 gallons of concentrated sulfuric acid. Acid pollution also tainted the Delaware River and nearby air and soils. After the accident, Motiva officials confirmed that workers reported the tank farm complex unsafe in June. They recommended immediate repairs to the tank that collapsed, but the work was never started. Evidence of problems and neglected maintenance date to the early 1990s. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the refinery $259,000 in January for serious and willful safety violations. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigations Board is considering a public inquiry early this summer.
Fire lays waste to Genesee home
Josh Krueger, Staff writer,
Town of Genesee – A two-story wood-frame home was nearly lost Monday night to a house fire. Several area fire departments, including Wales-Genesee, responded to S30 W30206 Highway DE at about 6:20 p.m. Monday. According to Wales-Genesee Fire Chief Greg Jezak, fire departments from the towns of Delafield and Waukesha, as well as the village of Dousman, North Prairie and Big Bend-Vernon, fought the fire for more than an hour. There were no injuries to the home’s residents or any firefighters, although the residents were transported to a hospital for precautionary measures. “When we arrived on the scene, there was heavy smoke and fire coming from the south and east sides of the house,” Jezak said Tuesday. Jezak added that a smoke detector alerted the family to the fire and allowed them to escape unharmed. “The smoke detector was a major contributing factor to the life and safety of those people,” he said. Although the official report has not been completed, Jezak said that the preliminary investigation revealed one likely cause. A plumbing contractor was working inside the home, using a blowtorch. Jezak said that the torch is believed to have started the fire. It was 12:30 Tuesday morning before all fire personnel left the scene, but, according to Jezak, it was the combined effort of all six departments that allowed the fire to be controlled as well as it was. “The several departments were excellent together,” Jezak said. “Without their help, we couldn’t have extinguished the blaze.” Despite that effort, much of the house was lost. Jezak described the home as having three sections, two of which, the two-story garage and one-story middle section, fell victim to Monday’s fire. The firefighters were, however, able to save one of the two-story sections. The official Sheriff’s Department report should be released sometime this week.
Welding torch ignites Ideal fire
By Gretchen Cleland, The Hawk Eye
Flying sparks from a welding torch are being blamed for a fire at Ideal Ready Mix Concrete Monday evening. Burlington firefighters were called to the business at 2880 Mount Pleasant St. about 6 p.m. Monday on a report of a fire. Fire Marshal Mike Hartman said an employee was using a welding torch to heat a pipe over a conveyor belt when the fire started. “There was an open wall where he was working and some sparks got down in the wall and got going pretty good,” Hartman said. It took firefighters about three–and–a–half hours to bring the blaze under control. Once the fire was squelched, a firefighter stayed on the scene overnight to keep watch and make sure nothing rekindled. No one was injured in the fire. Though the building was not a total loss, damages are estimated at $250,000.
Up from the ashes; Work resumes on SSU’s historic Hill Hall.
Savannah Morning News
Two years ago, the hum of saws and tap of hammers coming from the oldest and grandest structure on campus generated energy and excitement at Savannah State University. By May 2000, workers were half way through the second phase of the Hill Hall renovation at Savannah State and university officials were preparing to raise the $1.6 million needed to complete the third and final phase. The three-story building was constructed between 1900 and 1901 by students and faculty during the administration of the first college president, Richard R. Wright, a former slave. It had been well used and worn over the years. And although the structure had been closed since 1996, when it became too weak for further use, it continued to symbolize the institution’s endurance and determination and had deep significance to all who call Savannah State their alma mater. Then came the fire. In the evening hours of May 8, 2000, high temperatures from welding work that was done earlier that day ignited a fire within the walls. By nightfall, the roof was gone and the long-awaited restoration that had come so far was now in worse shape than ever. “It was very frustrating,” University President Carlton Brown said. More than $1 million had already gone into the beloved building and the fire put an end to the fund-raising plans for the final phase of construction. “Until we knew what the cost of clean up, restoration and repair (of fire damage) would be we couldn’t launch another fund-raiser because we would be dealing with arbitrary numbers,” Brown said. But the tapping and humming from the heart of the historic campus is back. Crews have started repair work that will restore the building to where it was before the fire. The $2 million to $3 million abatement project will take 18-20 months to complete. The cost is being covered by the insurance of the construction company that was responsible for the accidental fire. Once that work is complete, the university will have to get a new estimate on the cost to complete the third and final phase of construction. “The last cost estimate ($1.6 million) was in 1998-’99,” Brown said. If the costs have increased and university fund-raisers have to step up their efforts, Brown said they would have to rely on university supporters and historic preservationists to dig a little deeper. So far, the Hill Hall project has received widespread community support, according to Brown. “The grassroots support we have received so far has been overwhelming,” Brown said. “It’s been from nickels and dimes up to thousands of dollars. This time we expect similar responses.”
Man hurt in tank explosion
By Victoria Hoe
A worker was critically ill in hospital today after an explosion at a haulage firm near Lichfield . Two colleagues who tried to help him are also in hospital after suffering serious burns. The 45-year-old man from Tamworth was carrying out welding work on the fuel tank of a lorry at South Staffs Freight Terminal in Shenstone when the explosion happened yesterday at about 4.25pm . The man caught the full impact of the blast and fire in a yard at the back of the business in Lynn Lane . The explosion is thought to have been caused when heat from the welding work ignited a build-up of fumes in the diesel tank.The man suffered burns to his head, face, torso, arms and legs. He was airlifted to the burns unit at Selly Oak Hospital by Staffordshire Air Ambulance. His two colleagues who are thought to have tried to remove his burning clothes, also suffered burns and were taken to Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope Hospital . One is from Lichfield and the other from Sutton Coldfield and both are believed to be aged in their late 20s or early 30s. The fire was out by the time Lichfield firefighters arrived at the scene. Lichfield station officer Dave Lee said: “The man was carrying out welding work on the diesel tank of the lorry when there was an explosion. “He was working close to the explosion and would have been in the thick of the flames. “Another man came to help but received burns to his hands and a third man received burns to his fingers.” The cause of the accident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. A spokesman for South Staffordshire Freight said everyone was very worried about the three men involved in the accident.
Two burned in Tokyo basement fire
Two construction workers were seriously burned at a building under construction in Tokyo when a fire broke out in the basement, while some 280 other workers in the building were evacuated to safety, police said Sunday. The two workers, one of them comatose after receiving burns all over and the other suffering throat burns after inhaling smoke, were using gas burners to melt 200 kilograms of asphalt material from where the fire started at about 5:15 p.m., Saturday. All other workers were evacuated from the eight-story building in Tokyo ‘s Shinagawa-ku and were uninjured. The fire destroyed walls and ceilings but was subdued one hour later. The building is located in a development zone some 300 meters from Aomono Yokocho Station on the Keihin Kyuko railway. (Mainichi Shimbun, April 7, 2002)
FIRE OFFICIAL: SCHOOL FIRE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED
by MARTY SHEVELOVE
A small fire that broke out in the roof at Starline Elementary School Thursday afternoon should have been reported to the fire department even though school officials believed it was immediately extinguished. “We need to be called on any fire in town,” Battalion Chief Doug Cleveringa said Friday. “There is always the possibility that the fire could have started up again. I’ll report it to the inspectors and they will check it out.” Starline principal Ken Danley said there was no need to call the fire department. “Our guys took care of it. It was in an isolated spot. Construction workers were doing sealing work. A torch caught a pad on fire in a duct and it was put out immediately,” Danley said. “Our maintenance people got up there and then kept a watch on it in the evening.” Danley said a fifth grade classroom was emptied due to smoke that came through a vent after the fire was put out. The smoke was cleared and students returned to the classroom on Friday. Danley also said work on the $240,000 roof replacement project was coming to an end. “The project is just about done although I’m reluctant to set a date because little things could come up,” he said. “The roofer has said there are just five days of work left. The air conditioning guys have to finish up what they are doing before the roofers can finish. There was a slight delay in the air conditioning work because the company lost some people. But they are getting caught up.” The smell of tar, which sickened several students and staff members in early February, returned earlier this week when a tar pot was moved to the school’s parking lot. “It was unpleasant for awhile but it has all been taken care of,” Danley said.
Fire damages salvage yard, Official looks into environmental danger
By Jaime Powell Caller-Times, March 29, 2002
GREGORY – Smoke and flames inundated a recycling yard on U.S. Highway 181, threatening railroad cars filled with poisonous chemicals on the tracks behind the yard before firefighters from five area departments got control of the blaze. Firefighters were at the scene just after 11 a.m. and brought water from hydrants in Gregory to fight the blaze. With the assistance of Taft, Ingleside, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi firefighters, Portland had the fire under control within 2 1/2 hours, authorities said. Portland Fire Chief Jim Nelson said that at one point there were at least 40 junked vehicles on fire. “They were stacked six or seven high and pretty tight. It spread quickly,” Nelson said. “It was already pretty well involved when we got there.” Vance Dawson IV, owner of the automobile salvage yard, said that he had been using a torch in the yard Thursday morning. “I cut some stuff with a torch and then about two hours lapsed between then and when we first saw the smoke,” Dawson said. “We called 911.” Nobody was injured in the blaze and estimates of damage were not immediately available. Ernest Alvarado, who lives adjacent to the yard, said he noticed a little bit of black smoke at first and suddenly there were huge flames and smoke shooting into the sky. “It got huge,” Alvarado said. “The wind was going the other way but we could smell chemicals that I think were probably the burning cars. I was concerned for my family’s safety so we left for a while.” Nelson said the primary concern of everyone involved was to keep the fire from spreading to several railroad cars behind the yard’s fence. “There was chlorine in the cars on the railroad tracks,” he said. “We were working hard to keep it from spreading to them.” The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission sent an investigator to the scene of the fire to check on the possibility of environmental hazards. Susan Clewis, a team leader for the commission, said Thursday afternoon that her office’s primary responsibility was to make sure there were no immediate environmental dangers caused by the blaze but that an investigative team had to wait until the site cooled. “At this time we do not know what action, if any, will be taken, but we will be going back to take another look,” she said. Jaime Powell can be reached at 886-3716 or by email [email protected]
Town counts cost of blaze
By Sarah Bullock and Christy Tuer
Residents and traders are counting the cost of a blaze which ripped through two of Shrewsbury ‘s oldest town centre buildings leaving a trail of destruction and thousands of pounds worth of damage. An investigation has been launched by fire chiefs into claim that Friday afternoon’s blaze in Fish Street could have been started by workmen using a blow torch. Meanwhile firefighters have been praised for saving the heart of the county town’s medieval centre. Conservation chiefs said it was only the prompt actions of the fire service which prevented more historic buildings from being damaged. As residents and traders mopped up assistant division officer Martin Timmis said the cause of fire was still unknown, but it had been determined that it was not arson. “We are still investigating at this time but it appears it was started by accident,” he said. “My investigation has revealed that there were some workmen working in the area in which the fire started up to an hour before the fire manifested itself.” The blaze broke out in the roof space of the timber framed Evanjali shoe shop, before spreading to the 700 year old home of Liz and Trevor Saxton and the adjacent Bear Steps, home of Shrewsbury Civic Society. Liz Saxton said she had been aware that workmen were in the vicinity. “I was at home in the morning and I heard some workmen on one of the buildings. I heard they were using a blow torch and could smell burning,” she said. English Heritage regional director Mary King said: “We are waiting to find out how the fire started and if, as has been suggested, it was caused by workmen we will want to know why that was the case.” A spokesman for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said that fire investigators had been at the scene to ensure the buildings were safe. He said that they had made sure there were no hotspots remaining and had now handed over responsibility to the borough council. He added that parts of Fish Street were still cordoned off while the damage was being assessed and the clean-up operation began.
Maintenance Workers Injured in Soldering Blast
Swanzey , NH , United States
A natural gas leak caused an explosion that injured several maintenance workers at Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey, authorities said Friday. The injured workers were in a pit in a maintenance area repairing a blocked water pipe Thursday night, said Superintendent Curtis Cardine. When they tried to light a plumber’s torch, there was a blast. Investigators from the Swanzey Fire Department and state fire marshal’s office found a leak in a fitting in an underground propone line outside the school. The leak allowed gas to seep into the basement, authorities said, but the workers couldn’t smell gas because it was scrubbed of its odor as it traveled underground. Three maintenance workers were injured when a water pipe apparently exploded at Monadnock Regional High School on Thursday ( 3/21/2002 ). According to WMUR-TV, the workers were trying to fix a water pressure problem and were using a torch to solder a pipe when the explosion occurred. The workers suffered serious burns to their faces and hands, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening. The state fire marshal’s office is investigating.
UPDATE, Man killed in boat explosion identified
22-year-old injured in KI boatyard named also
By: BRIAN HAAS, Staff Writer
KENT ISLAND – A 33-year-old Pasadena man was killed in a boat explosion Saturday that injured another man and damaged several boats at Brick House Yacht Yard. The State Fire Marshal said Dennis Wayne Silfies was killed Saturday when he and 22-year-old Richard Cristen Leamen, of Queen Anne, tried to switch a 36-foot Trojan sport fishing boat from regular gasoline to diesel fuel. Marshals said the two flushed out the gas tanks and filled them with water. Silfies, described by United Communities Volunteer Fire Chief Bob Carter as an “excellent mechanic,” then began welding on the fuel tank. Marshals said while Silfies was welding, the boat exploded. Seventy firefighters from Kent Island , Grasonville, Queenstown and Annapolis fought the blaze for 45 minutes. Marshals said the fire spread to five nearby boats before firefighters could control the fire. Silfies was killed in the explosion and Leamen was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for injuries. Marshals said he was treated and released Sunday. Fire marshals have ruled the explosion accidental. Marshals estimated $350,000 worth of damage at the marina.
UPDATE, Worker: Safety rules ignored – Monadnock High blast injured 3
3-28-02, By GREG COFFEY for SentinelSource
SWANZEY CENTER — A failure to follow safety protocols may have led to last week’s explosion at Monadnock Regional Junior-Senior High School, a school-district maintenance worker claims. The explosion injured three maintenance workers, all of whom are still out of work, recovering from their injuries. The workers were fixing a pipe on a water tank in a concrete pit in the southwestern part of the building. The blast was caused when one of the workers lit a torch, which ignited propane gas that had seeped into the pit. The gas had leaked from a cracked pipe that ran through the ground near the pit. The blast occurred shortly after an evening concert last Thursday at the school. No one else was injured. School was closed Friday and reopened Monday. The explosion was preceded by a series of safety violations that should have been addressed by school district officials, said Art Cable, a Monadnock Regional School District maintenance worker. “When it looks good, (school district officials) are safety-conscious. When it suits their needs, they’re not,” Cable said. Too many men were in the 6-by-6-foot pit at the time of the blast, and no one was standing above the entrance to help get them out in case of an accident, Cable said. Further, Cable said, maintenance workers were warned at a training seminar last year that a gas meter should always be used to detect gas in confined spaces before work is started. Michael Pratt, one of the injured workers, said the school district shares a gas meter with the Swanzey Fire Department. “In most cases, there’s no need (to check for gas) because we don’t go into a lot of confined spaces,” Pratt said. “It just happened to be a real freak thing.” The seminar also stressed the need for safety equipment in confined spaces, such as an A-frame, Cable said. An A-frame is a contraption that sits above the opening of a confined space, and has a set of pulleys attached. A rope is attached to the worker who enters the space. If that worker is injured, he can quickly be raised from the space using the pulleys, Cable said. The explosion is being investigated by the N.H. Department of Labor, said Cynthia A. Flynn, administrator for the department’s inspection division. The department routinely investigates any accident involving public workers, Flynn said. The department has completed its investigation, but has not completed its report. The report will first go to school district officials, and then will be made public, most likely early next week, Flynn said. Until then, Flynn would not comment on the investigation. School district officials met Wednesday to further discuss the incident, said Barry N. Fowler, the school district’s director of building and grounds. Fowler would not comment Cable’s allegations, but said the district has “very specific training and guidelines.” Superintendent Curtis J. Cardine could not be reached for comment by press time.
High school evacuated after fire on roof
Published March 20, 2002
PALOS HILLS — A worker welding near the roof of the performing arts center under construction at Stagg High School in Palos Hills sparked a fire Tuesday afternoon that forced an evacuation, fire officials said. “A worker welding a ladder to a scuttle hatch that allows access to the roof started roofing material on fire,” said North Palos Fire Protection District Chief Richard McKeon. There were no injuries reported, he said. <javascript:ASClick(‘http://www.cars.com’)>The fire, which broke out at about 12:50 p.m., was under control within 10 minutes, McKeon said, adding that about a 12-square-foot area of the roof was damaged. A damage estimate has not yet been made, he said. School District 230 spokesman Jim Sibley said the school’s 2,200 students were evacuated within four minutes of the alarm being sounded at the school, 11100 Roberts Rd. Classes resumed just before 2 p.m., Sibley said. Stagg and District 230’s other two high schools, Andrew in Tinley Park and Sandburg in Palos Township, are expected to complete by the end of the summer a $143 million renovation that is adding classrooms, science labs, libraries, food courts, fitness centers, performing arts centers and gymnasiums.
FedEx truck explodes
WARREN – An explosion heard for miles up Market Street led police and firefighters to the scene of a Federal Express truck engulfed in flames in the industrial park behind Country Inn Restaurant on Sunday evening. Raymond O’Connell of Rehoboth, owner of the white 1993 mail truck, had changed the oil and done engine work earlier in the day. Warren Police Detective Sgt. Roy Borges said some oil spilled onto a cushion Mr. O’Connell used to sit on beneath his truck. He also said Mr. O’Connell had been using a blow-torch to work on the engine, later determined to be the cause of the accident. Sparks shot off from the blow-torch and smoldered in the oil-soaked cushion for hours after Mr. O’Connell left the industrial park. Sgt. Borges said oil containers left in the rear of the truck added to the intensity of the fire. About 6:30 p.m., police received two phone calls claiming there had been an explosion that sounded as if a bomb had gone off. The Warren fire and police departments, R.I. Department of Environmental Management and Rhode Island fire marshals arrived on the scene. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which was ruled accidental. “It was completely accidental,” Sgt. Borges said. “An [unfortunate] series of accidents.” On Monday, the charred and mangled remains of the truck were still resting in the large lot in front of the Fed Ex building. “There’s nothing left of the truck,” Sgt. Borges said. “There aren’t doors, the cab is gone. It’s gone.”
Fire destroys buildings, hay at Taylor farm
by Willa Clark
Glenn Taylor created a little more heat than he intended while welding at his farm south of Humeston on Thursday. According to his wife, Norma, Glenn was welding south of his garage, when the garage caught fire, presumably from a spark. He turned and saw the inside of the garage in flames. Strong south winds kept the fire away from the house which is just a few yards away, but played havoc with blowing sparks, leaving a trail of burned patches far out into the field. Humeston fire chief Gerald Roe moved from one hot spot to another, giving directions to his men and communicating with the sheriff’s office by radio. Firemen who were containing the sparks from the ruins of the garage were moved to put out the fire at the base of another small building. Relief crews from Allerton stepped up to take the hose from hot and tired Humeston fighters. Men dug through smoldering bales, while others doused the sparks they found. Tanker trucks from the various departments waited in line to dump their cargo into the portable water tanks, to supply the hoses snaking across the yard and down the hill. A grass-fire-fighting pickup headed into the pasture, where the grass had been ignited by blowing sparks. In spite of the firemen’s efforts, an old-style barn filled with salvaged lumber was destroyed, along with Taylor’s entire crop of large round bales of hay, and the tools in his garage. Fire departments from Allerton, Corydon, Derby and Lineville assisted the Humeston firemen.
Recyclable debris flares to life in pit north of city
BY JOHN REYNOLDS, AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
A trash fire north of Lubbock that initially broke out early Wednesday morning rekindled Sunday, sending dark, black smoke high into the afternoon sky. While the menacing smoke prompted calls to 911 and drew curious onlookers, the flames never threatened nearby properties. The fire was contained to a pit on the premises of C&D Waste in the 7700 block of North Avenue P. The pit was filled with recyclable debris from houses torn down for the North Overton renewal program, New Deal Fire Chief Randy Teeter said. Employees tried to put out the fire Sunday by dumping dirt on it, but fire units from New Deal and Shallowater eventually responded to help contain the blaze. However, because the main part of the fire was deep underneath the pile of debris, it “may go on for a month,” Teeter said. A welder apparently caused the initial fire that began about 2 a.m. Wednesday, he said. The fire was put out, but flared up again the next night. New Deal fire units responded to both incidents, and Shallowater also responded Wednesday, firefighters at the scene said. In all, fire personnel have spent 13 hours at the site and put 35,000 gallons of water on the fire, Teeter said. While the fire was under control for a few days, the blaze eventually hit a pocket of asphalt and roofing materials, causing the fire to intensify and throw up the black smoke. C&D Waste was storing lumber, shingles, asphalt, concrete, Sheetrock and other construction supplies in the pit. “Basically, everything that’s in a house,” Teeter said. Eventually, the company had planned to run the pile of debris through a mechanical separator to recycle the material, he said. While Teeter has spent much of the past five days at the fire, he praised the company’s owners. “They’ve been putting every piece of equipment and every man possible” out to help put out the fire, he said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them.” jreynolds@lubbo
Charlotte Firefighters Called Out Saturday Night
Charlotte, Vermont — March 16
One man was treated for apparent smoke inhalation after a fire in Charlotte Saturday evening. Fire Chief Chris Davis credits the workers themselves who grabbed a fire extinguisher as soon as it broke out right around sunset. Firefighters had the flames out shortly after they arrived at the LaBerge farm on Lime Kiln road. The fire started in a shed — apparently from welding that was under way at the time. Sparks from the welding probably started it. Shelburne and Hinesburg fire departments helped at the scene. There were no injuries among the firefighters, and a “good stop,” according to Davis. Firefighters used an infrared camera to detect any hot spots inside the shed, and put out any smoldering spots as they found them.
Fire at Perry salvage yard
A raging fire consumed almost 60 cars on Tuesday afternoon at Billy’s Sales and Salvage on the west end of town. Billy Devilbiss was using a welding torch on a car which caught on fire. It spread and quickly ran out of control. The Perry Fire Department was called in around 2:30 p.m. Bouton, Dawson and Minburn responded to the scene soon after. Firemen worked on the blaze for three hours. Little damage was estimated as the vehicles which burned up were junk cars ready to be crushed.
Workers dismantling, burning structure fail to extinguish their fire
BY KRISTA LEWIN, Staff Writer
BOURBON – A ball of flames could be seen as far away as Humboldt as an old grain elevator located on the Bourbon Road in rural Douglas County burned to the ground Thursday afternoon. Arthur firefighters responded to the scene at about 4:40 p.m. and called for back-up as a wall of flames began to engulf the estimated 80-foot wooden structure. Black smoke billowing from the blaze could be seen from Mattoon. Amish, Mennonite and other area residents by the dozens gathered in the field and areas near the structure to watch firefighters battle the hot fire, which was fed by large gusts of wind. “This is the biggest thing to happen in Bourbon since the tornado a few years ago,” said Rickey Ferguson, Chesterville resident. Ferguson said he saw the flames from his farm, which is located about five miles south of Bourbon. He said he decided to drive over to Bourbon and see what was happening. Irvin Kauffman of Tuscola was driving through Bourbon at about 4:20 p.m. when he said he saw a small fire at the structure. There were a couple of workers who were trying to dismantle the structure with a cutting torch, and they had welding masks on and didn’t appear to know the structure was on fire, he said. “I called the fire department, and I sent somebody in there to tell the guys the structure was on fire,” Kauffman said. “Some fire units arrived about five minutes later, but within about 15 minutes the whole entire structure was on fire.” The workers were able to escape without injury, and no firefighters were hurt fighting the fire, said Kenny Miller, assistant fire chief, Arthur. The workers had been trying to dismantle the old structure with a cutting torch, he said. They had started a fire earlier to try to burn the pieces in a burning pit, he said. They had put water on the fire and thought the fire was out, but it must not have been, he said. Fire units from Arthur, Arcola, Atwood, Hindsboro, Humboldt and Cooks Mills were on the scene to assist in battling the blaze. Since Bourbon does not have city water or hydrants, the most essential pieces of equipment were tanker trucks, which continually hauled in water. Tanker trucks parked near a small pond located on the Bourbon Road near Route 133 and filled their tanks with water. The pond contains a dry hydrant and was one of several constructed in the Arthur area in the event that water needed to be hauled into areas that don’t have hydrants, Miller said. The old grain elevator is located about 15 feet away from the Union Pacific railroad. Douglas County 911 called Union Pacific and asked them to stop the trains from coming through. Firefighters stood on the tracks and sprayed water onto the ties and the rails to keep the tracks from being damaged by the flames, which were blowing to the north onto the tracks. A representative from Union Pacific was at the scene and was preparing to inspect the tracks for damage, Miller said. They might have to repair the tracks before any trains can come through, he said. Homeowners living nearby were lucky that the flames were blowing to the north and not the south, or the fire might have caused problems for them, Miller said. Kauffman, who owns property near the old grain elevator, said he was glad that no one was hurt, but he was also glad it was the end of the old structure. He and several residents said that it had become an eyesore and it was a hazard because every summer, sections of the structure would blow off. The structure was open and there were large holes in the ground, Kauffman said. Kids could have wandered in it and gotten hurt, Kauffman said. – Contact Krista Lewin at [email protected].
Explosion rips hole through Bedford garage
March 14, 2002
BEDFORD, Ohio — An explosion ripped a hole through a man’s Bedford garage Wednesday night. It happened at a house on Magnolia Avenue. Police say Philip Wiles was welding in his garage and accidentally sparked old gun powder that blew a hole through the garage. Some of the debris hit a neighbor’s house who watched it happen. “I was standing at the kitchen sink when a big blast went off and some of the stuff hit my home, reminding me of a gas explosion or something like that,” Richard Patton says. Police charged Wiles, a military item collector, with a misdemeanor for improperly storing the gun powder. Wiles will be in court later this month.
Fire at power plant
By The Examiner staff
A welding spark ignited a fire in an air cooling room at the Independence Power and Light plant on Truman Road Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said. The fire occurred in a free-standing building several hundred feet from the main generating plant. The building housed a series of vents and filters used to cool air. A Power and Light worker was using the welding torch to make repairs in the building. A spark ignited some corrugated cardboard used in the filters about 10:54 a.m. The fire was contained within 15 minutes of the call.
Roofer’s torch gets the blame in big fire
By Danielle Delfin, BCT staff writer , 2|NEW|, [email protected]
MAPLE SHADE – A roofer’s torch ignited the destructive blaze that ripped through an apartment complex off Route 73 here Monday, county fire officials said. The Burlington County Fire Marshal’s Office announced yesterday that it had completed its investigation at the Village of Stoney Run Apartments and determined that the fire started on the roof. Investigators said contractors using two propane-fired torches were working on the roof Monday and that combustible materials at the roofline were ignited while the workers were applying a new rubber membrane to the roof above unit 39-F. Assistant County Fire Marshal Michael J. Reed said the fire was accidental. The roofers, who were interviewed at the scene by police and fire investigators, work for Goralski Roofing in Cinnaminson . The company could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon. In addition to interviews, fire officials examined the charred remains of the 30-unit apartment complex. Reed said investigators examined a natural-gas clothes dryer that shared a common shaftway to the roof area and found the appliance to be turned off. They also ruled out an electrical fire as the cause, determining that all damage to the wiring was a result of the fire, not the ignition source. The three-alarm fire, which drew about 125 fire, police and rescue personnel to the wooded complex, displaced 28 families. Up to 24 units were completely destroyed and another six to eight were heavily damaged by water and smoke. Some residents have since moved into vacant units at the complex, while other tenants have moved to other area apartment complexes. Residents have been returning to the fire scene since Tuesday night, trying to salvage any belongings that they could, said complex manager Pat Gotta. “Some have been very lucky and were able to reclaim some of their things, others were a total loss,” she said. “Some things that weren’t a total loss have various degrees of smoke and water damage.” Fire officials said the building likely will have to be demolished. Gotta said engineers will have to examine the building to determine what will be done with the structure. Friday, March 15, 2002
Area firefighters battle three blazes
By:Michael Bush, March 14, 2002
According to reports, sparks from a cutting torch being used at the Sooner International Raceway started a grass fire that eventually burned 20 acres and an automobile. Although the fire came up to three of the homes at a nearby housing edition, none were damaged. It took firefighters from the Altus , Martha, Blair and Friendship units approximatley 45 minutes to contain the blaze. No injuries were reported. Pat Brignola was at a funeral yesterday afternoon when she received word that there was a fire near her home north of Altus . She rushed home knowing that her husband David was there asleep and may not know about the fire that was being contained across the field south of their front door. Area firefighters had the blaze well under control as the Brignolas watched them work from their neighbor Clem Farley’s yard, “I could see the smoke from across town,” said Farley who also rushed home like many other residents in the area. According to reports, sparks from a cutting torch being used at the Sooner International Raceway started a grass fire that eventually burned 20 acres and an automobile. Although the fire came up to three of the homes at a nearby housing edition, none were damaged. It took firefighters from the Altus , Martha, Blair and Friendship units approximatley 45 minutes to contain the blaze. No injuries were reported. In seperate news, An unoccupied house at 805 South Park Lane sustained a substantial amount of damage from a fire that broke out last night. The house sustained $10,000 in damages to the structure and $7,000 to the contents. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Firemen arrived at the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m. and remained for about two hours. Alfred Ragsdill is listed as the owner. A fire also broke out at 700 Ell. Damage was estimated at $2,000 to some property. The structure was not damaged. The fire ignited when someone was playing with a torch, according to fire department records. Firemen arrived at 2:20 p.m. and remained for about 40 minutes. Jessie Newman is the owner of the property. There were no injuries reported in either fire.
Fire started by plumber’s torch destroys home
Story By Staff Reports, Posted on Wednesday, March 13 @ 04:59:58 EST (220 reads)
EVANS – A fire started by a plumber’s torch in the basement of an Evans home Tuesday afternoon destroyed the $130,000 house, according to fire reports. The fire, at the home of Tammy DeVoughn, 1614 38th St., apparently started when someone working on the plumbing in the basement accidentally ignited dried flowers that were hanging from the basement rafters, according to Evans Fire Chief Doug Melby. Pets were in the house when the fire started, but they were safely removed. One Evans firefighter, Ice Herring, received minor injuries when some ceiling material collapsed, Melby said. He was treated at North Colorado Medical Center and released. The fire spread quickly through the three-bedroom, split-level home and was fully involved when the Evans firefighters arrived. Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire within a few minutes, but much of the house already was charred and smoke damaged.
Pekin firefighters battle auto shop blaze
Situation aggravated by low water pressure, wind, power outages
March 10, 2002, By SARAH OKESON of the Journal Star
PEKIN – As Fire Chief John Janssen surveyed the burning remains of a Pekin automotive shop Saturday afternoon, he was only thankful the fire didn’t spread. With wind gusts of up to 46 mph in nearby Peoria and water mains that didn’t deliver enough water to fight the fire at Jim’s Automotive, 313 N. Second St., Pekin’s firefighters were hampered before the first firetruck came on the scene. “With all the things that we were up against, I think it went extremely well,” Janssen said. “It could have been a mini-Chicago fire with all the houses right up close.” Police said the fire caused a power outage to about half of downtown Pekin. Residents in a two-square-block area nearby were evacuated. Investigators won’t be able to get to the automotive shop to try to determine the cause of the fire until today, when the walls are bulldozed in to make it safe enough for them to examine the building. As far as firefighters and police know, everyone got out of the three apartments above the automotive shop. No firefighters were injured. Janssen said workers in the body shop, owned by James C. Cooper of Pekin, had been welding before going to lunch. A passer-by reported the fire at 12:27 p.m. “There were flames shooting out the windows and through the roof,” said Deputy Police Chief Chuck Bassett. “When I arrived, the building was virtually engulfed, and the whole area was covered with dense black smoke.” The roof collapsed, and periodic explosions could be heard from within the building. A 55-gallon drum blew up, flew through the air and landed in the middle of Caroline Street. Firefighters sprayed water on nearby houses to try to prevent the fire from spreading. “Fireballs were shooting out,” said neighbor Danya Ratledge. “This is an old house, at least 100 years old. It wouldn’t take much for it to go up in flames.” Not enough water Janssen said the water main was delivering about 500 gallons a minute, about a third of what the water mains in the newer part of the city can deliver. The fire department sometimes calls Illinois-American to ask the company to boost the water pressure to fight fires, but Janssen said a company employee told the fire department it couldn’t Saturday. Fire Capt. Jim Blessman said the fire department has three aerial ladders but could use only two because it didn’t have enough water. The city of Pekin wants to buy the Pekin waterworks from Illinois-American and has a non-binding referendum on the March 19 ballot. Randy West, Illinois American’s operations superintendent for the Pekin district, said the power outage knocked out the power to the company’s pumps. “There were no pumps that were running to boost the pressure, and they couldn’t run because the power was knocked out,” West said. City Manager Dick Hierstein said the power outage wouldn’t have happened if the water company had responded promptly to the fire department’s call. “Once again we have a problem with water pressure,” Hierstein said. “When the fire department called Illinois-American they were put on hold for an extended period of time. What’s it going to take for people to realize the company needs to go?” West questioned why the fire department called the company’s 800 number instead of calling him. He said the city manager and the fire department have his home number and his cellphone number. “No one has called me,” West said. “I wasn’t even aware of a power outage.” Neal Johnson, the spokesman for Central Illinois Light Co., said flames from the fire burned a 69,000-kilovolt feeder line about 1 p.m. The fire caused three substations to go off-line and left 3,085 Pekin customers without power. In November 1990, an upholstery business in Pekin burned to the ground as firefighters couldn’t get enough water from a 4-inch main, but West said Illinois-American has been upgrading Pekin’s water mains. “Every year there’s water main replacement going on,” West said. “This year we are replacing 4,000 feet of main in Pekin.” ‘Not a good plan’ As firefighters knocked on nearby houses, they told people to go to the nearby Union Mission. But when Dee and Robert Smith arrived at the mission, they found the door locked. They went to the library, but it had closed down because of the power outage. They ended up going to a restaurant and then returned to their dark unheated house hours before the fire department told people they could return home. “It was not a good plan,” Dee Smith said. “The firefighters should have had the facts before they told people where to go.” Some people didn’t leave at all. Elizabeth Englebrecht, 75, sat in her son’s truck watching firefighters struggle to contain the fire about a block away. “I don’t want to leave my house at all,” she said. As evening fell, firefighters were manning the smoldering ruins of the automotive shop. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency arrived to oversee the cleanup of the oil-fouled water from the fire, and the cars bearing sightseers had drifted away long ago.