The Heat Was So Intense That Fire Units Could
Not Approach the Seat of the Fire
A GRASS FIRE THAT WAS SPARKED BY a passing train ended up burning down a factory near Adelaide, South Australia, Thursday evening.
The Messenger
The grass fire was whipped along by stiff winds and spread to a pile of wooden pallets stored outside the pallet factory. Once the large lumber storage got going, it spread into the factory itself and grew into a 4-alarm fire that destroyed the business before the fire department could contain it and keep it from spreading any farther.
The fire started around 1:45 pm and started as two separate grass fires the soon merged into one. Once it got into the pallet storage area, there were literally thousands of pallets burning and the radiant heat alone was causing spot fires and threatening several large businesses along with some neighboring houses. People reported feeling the heat from more than a ½-mile away. About an hour after the fire started, the roof collapsed at the pallet factory.
photo by Neale Winter
AdelaideNow posted this video taken at the pallet factory:
During the peak of the fire, the heat was so intense that firefighters could not get close enough to get hose streams onto the seat of the blaze. When a large aerial water bomber and two wildfire helicopters were brought in to attack the blaze, they knocked it down enough for engine companies to resume work. One fire engine was damaged by the heat. Finally later in the evening the fire was contained and knocked down enough to lift the evacuation emergency in the area.
This home video gives a very good view of the fire’s progression:
AdelaideNow has a report HERE.
Hat tip: Darren V.
Also on FireGeezer…
- 3-Alarm Fire Near Houston Injures 2 FF’s – March 1, 2011
- Grass Fire Takes Out 18 Homes in Washington State – February 14, 2011
- Reno Wildfire Fully Contained – January 22, 2012
- Light Plane Crash Triggers Grass Fire – September 5, 2011
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