THE CAUSE OF THE SPECTACULAR APARTMENT FIRE IN PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS, on Thursday (see Firegeezer report HERE) has been determined. 

Boston Herald/Garfinkel photo

By 5 pm on Friday the squad of investigators located the point of origin, on the outside of Bldg. 8.  After digging down under the nearby gas meter box, they found several discarded cigarette butts.  After further searching and talking to witnesses, they have concluded that a cigarette butt ignited the mulch bed that abuts the building.  The burning mulch propagated a fire on the siding of the building where it went up from there.

The fire in its early stages probably caused a failure in the nearby gas pipe and that accelerated the burn rate.  While the gas contributed to the fire, it did not cause the fire.

Boston Herald photo

A resident in the complex, Joe Jolly, told the Lynn Daily Item that he recently witnessed several small mulch fires around the complex.  “For the last couple of months, there have been spot fires everywhere,” he said.

The fire destroyed the entire building left over 40 residents homeless.  The remaining 1,000 residents of the complex who had been evacuated were allowed to return to their homes today after their buildings had been thoroughly checked by fire and health dept. inspectors.
 

A 7-ALARM FIRE IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, EARLY FRIDAY MORNING completely destroyed one of the city’s landmark businesses, the James Hook and Company lobster wholesalers (see STATter911’s original report HERE).

Assoc. Press

By mid-day the old wooden buildings that made up the firm were lost to the flames. Despite the fact that the building was always moist inside because of the lobster tanks, the old wood and the creosote treatment on the wharf’s pilings fueled the fire beyond the point of saving it. When the monitored alarm came in to the FD shortly after 3 am, the nearest station just two blocks away found the structure already fully involved.

More than 135 firefighters fought the blaze.  The city’s large fireboats were prevented from approaching the fire scene because of the very low bridges that flank the structures.

Globe/Jarek photo

The family business was begun by the current owner’s grandfather in 1925 and has been at the same location the entire time.  Despite being surrounded by a forest of modern commercial skyscrapers, the grubby old buildings with the hand-painted signs were a reminder of Boston’s seafaring past.  While most of the city’s seafood industry has moved to the South Boston harbor area, the Hook business hung in there and became a tourist attraction in itself, selling lobster rolls to walkup customers.

The business contained 300 holding tanks that were filled with continuously-circulating sea water.  Approximately 60,000 lbs. of live lobsters worth more than $500,000 were lost in the fire.  Most of their stock is caught in and trucked down from Canada where it is then shipped around the world.  Hook generally shipped out 50,000 lbs. a day.

Before the fire was even out, the family members emphatically said that they will remain in business, probably at the same location.  For now, they will get a tent set up and carry on operations because product will continue to arrive and they have customers to serve.  They expect to be back in business come Monday morning.

Today’s Boston Globe has a good background story HERE.
View the Globe’s photo gallery HERE.

This Ch. 25 video report includes some fire footage:

DIRECT DOWNLOADING OF MOVIES and other digital media advanced another step during the past ten days.  Firegeezer readers already knew this was coming because we’ve been talking about it.  Now we are watching it happen.

Netflix announced last week that they will immediately begin selling a set-top box that will allow their subscribers to stream videos directly from Netflix’ website to their television set.

The device is about the size of a paperback book and you plug the output connection to your television.  It is WiFi compatible, so you don’t need to hardwire it to your computer for the streaming of the program.  Netflix is initially offering 10,000 movies and tv episodes from its library for the service.

There are two financial expenditures needed by the subscriber.  First is a mandatory purchase of the “box” for $100.  Next is the “unlimited” subscription of $8.99 a month to use it.  But there are no other charges.  People who already have the unlimited service from Netflix can plug right in and play…. it’s the same service, just skipping the snail mail part and no returns necessary.

The box is made and sold directly by Roku and really is quite small, 5 in. by 5 in. and is HD-ready, once Netflix decides to download the HD versions of its library.  Within a year there will be other brands of receivers on the market which will bring the price down a bit.  Netflix is already working with four other manufacturers that are getting ready to enter the market.

*  *  *  *  *

Blockbuster unveiled on Wednesday their new in-store kiosk that will download movies onto the customer’s own portable storage device.  Their pricing structure is similar to Netflix’ at $10 monthly, but initially you have to visit the store to download your movie, which will take about two minutes.  However, Blockbuster expects to get that down to 30 seconds shortly.

It’s advantage over the downstreaming service is that you can carry the movie with you and view it whenever and wherever you choose, such as when you are away from home on a trip.

Blockbuster will soon be introducing its own version of the at-home streaming service that they are calling Movielink.  So there will be two choices available for downloading delivery.  Beginning in June they will operate the kiosks in a select number of stores to smooth out the kinks before going nationwide with them.

AN AMBULANCE IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, WAS ON A “TRAINING EXERCISE” Thursday when a pedestrian stepped in front of it and was fatally struck.

The ambulance was traveling on the public road with its emergency lights on and siren sounding, but was not responding on an emergency call.

The 49-yr.-old man was talking on his cell phone and walked out into the street in front of the ambulance.  A police spokesman said: “The man stepped out into the road and collided with the ambulance.”

A second ambulance was called to transport him to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The Lancashire Telegraph has the STORY.
North West Ambulance Service WEBSITE.

Firegeezer is baffled.  I have never heard of driving on the public streets under emergency conditions as part of a training exercise.  Perhaps somebody can fill us in on this unfamiliar practice.

A BAKERY IN HIRWAUN, WALES, WAS STRUCK BY AN ARSONIST just hours after they announced that they were laying off half of their workforce.

The Best Bakeries Ltd. made public their need to dismiss 50 employees on Thursdday as part of a bankruptcy reorganization.  The affected workers were told as they showed up for work that they were laid off effective immediately.

South Wales Echo photo

Early Friday morning somebody torched three delivery trucks parked at the loading dock, destoying the vehicles and a substantial amount of stock.  The responding fire brigades were able to keep the fire from spreading into the plant.

The South Wales Echo reports:

Steve Fogo, bakery manager at Best Bakeries, estimated that the cost of the damage to the vehicles and stock in the bakery, combined with the lost production time, would total more than £100,000 ($200,000).

But he added that the biggest shock to himself and the factory’s owner David Wetz was that the fire was started while employees were working on the site.

“Both David and myself are just so relieved that nobody was injured in the blaze.  There were eight people on site at the time and we are just extremely thankful that they weren’t hurt at all.”

 The health department has given the bakery the ok to continue operations after cleaning up the limited damage to the inside of the plant.

An arson investigation has begun.  Read the full story HERE.

This month sure went by fast for me, although I don’t know why.  How about you?  It’s only 3 weeks until the first day of summer.  And high school graduations are all scheduled and planned. 

My #2 grandson gets sprung out into the world in a couple of weeks.  I got the announcement card yesterday and immediately noticed that his graduation exercises are going to be held at 9 am.  What’s with that?  Is it so they can start partying sooner?  I need to check this out.

*  *  *

While searching for some “digital audio” grade blank CD’s I learned that they are not too common.  I did find some at Best Buy, but the selection was very limited.  And the only ones available came with their “jewel-box” cases.  I was hoping to buy one of those stacks of discs on a spindle because I already have plenty of the empty storage cases.  But no luck with that.

I haven’t checked the internet yet because I wanted some right now, but I’ll do that this weekend.  I stopped in an Office Depot store for a comparison, but they don’t stock any at all.

*  *  *

Last week the FCC chairman told a group that the Commission’s decision on the proposed merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio services will be announced by the end of June.

The two competing companies are bleeding red ink and have been waiting for a long time to get the government ok to merge their networks so they can eliminate any duplicative (is that a word?….ed.) operations expenses.

Already, a gaggle of greedy Congressmen have checked out their “campaign ” bank accounts and are meddling in the process again.  Some are wanting to force the two companies to give up some of their spectrum so that there will be bandwidth for future competitors.  It hasn’t occurred to those dunces that if these two can’t make it, then nobody is going to try and build out a competing satellite fleet and take them on.

Others that already have the terrestrial radio industry in their pockets are trying to block the merger outright.  Their claim that it would eliminate “competition” rings a little hollow when you point out that they have plenty of competition already.  It’s called “AM and FM radio,” “internet radio,” “iPod” and lots of other names.

Myself, I haven’t gotten on the satellite radio train.  Mainly because I just don’t listen to the radio at all.  But I have heard the XM service and I have to say that I’m impressed with it.  For people who spend a lot of their time in their car because of their work, etc., then that’s the way to go.  Regular radio is crap anymore and if the satellites are allowed to prosper, then the terrestrials’ days are over.

But our day is just starting, so let’s get this equipment checked out and I’ll go start the coffee.

*  STATter911 has two items that I’d like to point out.  One has to do with an Austin, Texas, lieutenant who left his engine crew sitting and waiting to respond on a medical emergency while he went to a restaurant next door to pick up a food order.  He said that he thought it was going to be “a nothing call.”  I think he was fired.

The other story is about a co-worker of Dave’s who is collecting donations for her bicycle ride to benefit the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation.  This wonderful group takes care of the families of burned firefighters from all departments who are being treated in the Washington Burn Center.  There have been nearly a dozen in the past year alone.

Check them both out HERE.

*  Wildfire Today is linking to and commenting on the just-released San Diego Grand Jury on the county government’s failure to implement proper fire protection for its citizens.  Now there’s a novel concept.  Click HERE and read about it.

*  FirefighterCloseCalls has a report today on a fire engine rollover in Texas where the pumper rolled 6 times.  The driver was belted.  Get the full story and related pictures HERE.

*  SConFire is talking about the latest mudslinging  going on the the Charleston City Council chambers.  The mayor is starting to really feel the heat now.  Read the STORIES.

*  VAFireNews was updated today with some fresh “hot” shots HERE.

*  When it comes to “hot” shots, PhillyFireNews is always loaded with them.  Check them out everyday HERE.

IT WILL BE DAYS BEFORE ANY DEFINITIVE EXPLANATIONS will be offered about this morning’s crane collapse in New York City.

Currently, rescue efforts are still in full effort with hundreds of emergency personnel searching for victims.

Search dog works the rubble at the
base of the collapsed crane.  (NYT photo)

A late story in  the New York Times has a description of what happened just before 8 am:

Witnesses said the horizontal arm of the crane began to circle and then snapped off, propelling the cab and the upper portion of the arm onto a white-brick residential building across the street.

The cab smashed into the top floor of the building, demolishing a portion of a 22nd-story penthouse, then plunged down the north facade, knocking off balconies and leaving a trail of pockmarks down to a Duane Reade drug store on the street level.

It was reported elsewhere that two city sewer workers were directly underneath the falling crane and were struck by it.

NY Times

The Times says further:

The accident occurred just two months after a tower crane collapsed on East 51st Street between Second and First Avenues, killing seven people and prompting an extensive review of the safety of cranes in the city.

Just this week, city officials said they would no longer require inspectors to be on hand at construction sites when a crane is erected or made taller, ending a policy put in place after the Midtown accident. The Buildings Department said on Wednesday that it would switch to a system of spot checks and “safety meetings” where workers would be briefed on proper procedures.

Read the complete Times article HERE.

The AP has this video update:

Any further updates will be posted later tonight after any confirmed reports are issued.

NY Times

TWO MONTHS AGO UNITED AIRLINES AND US AIRWAYS announced that they were looking into a merger that would combine the #2 United with #7 US Air and create the largest U. S. carrier in traffic volume.

This morning the CEO’s of the two companies distributed letters to their respective employees that they have decided to not proceed at this time with the proposal.

The immediate financial outlook for the major airlines discourages capital investors and lenders from putting needed cash into the merger.

In a separate venture, United and Continental Airlines are continuing talks about creating a working alliance, as opposed to a merger.

The details of these developments are spelled out in an article from AP Business News HERE.

A NEW CONTROVERSY IS BEING GINNED UP ABOUT the possibility of long-term toxins being a part of the mandatory fire retardents found in clothing and bedding.

Last week CBS News ran a special report on the issue and brought up the fact that some states have outlawed the use of one of them known as DECA.

You can view the CBS News 3:54 min. report here:

Bill Delaney of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire and Rescue Department is the editor of Washington Metro Area Fire & Injury Prevention WEBSITE.  He has just pointed out to us that an area-wide mailing promoting the positive side of DECA is being received by his county’s citizens.

This oppositional information is being distributed by and organization that calls itself Citizens for Fire Safety (CFFS) and they have a nice website HERE that furthers their position with examples and testimonials.  They also have a lot of information about flame retardant materials.

The website’s About Us page tells us that they are “a coalition of fire professionals, educators, burn centers, doctors, fire departments and industry leaders, united to ensure that our country is protected by the highest standards of fire safety.”  None of these fire departments and industry leaders are listed by name.

Bill informs us that CFFS is a lobbying group for the chemical industry that was organized to fight the passage of these proposed state legislations.

As far as I have observed (which isn’t very far) the fire and rescue service itself hasn’t come out one way or the other on this fresh issue.  Take a look at the two extreme viewpoints, the CBS report and the CFFS website and then decide where in the middle is there anything to be found?

Thanks to Bill Delaney for pointing this out to us.