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8 Alarms Update

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Heavy Response and Sub-Freezing Temperatures

THE 8-ALARM FIRE IN BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN, that eventually reached 13 alarms brought units from 92 fire departments (full run listing is HERE) to a food processing plant Wednesday night was successfully knocked down after 18 hours.  (See the Firegeezer report HERE.)  Firefighting efforts were severely hampered by the brutal cold temperatures which were in the teens throughout.

The fire threatened several liquid oxygen and ammonia tanks

FirefighterNation posted a recap of the operation which included rotating the fire crews every five hours through the night.  You can read FFN's updated REPORT HERE. 

 

Video by Larry Shapiro

The fire was in the MABAS mutual aid territory (northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa) and the dedicated team of photographers from ChicagoAreaFire had a couple of representatives – Larry Shapiro and Tim Olk – who trekked up to the town to document the fire.  They tell us that the windchill factor while they were up there was minus-10 deg.

Read Larry Shapiro's first-hand report from the scene with a good summary of the fire hazard that was facing the crews HERE.

Larry's 45-image photo gallery (featuring lots of ice and Fold-a-Tanks) is HERE.

Firegeezer really digs tanker operations  (Larry Shapiro photo)

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Posted by on February 2, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

8 Alarms Bring 80 FD’s in Wisconsin

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A True Test of the Incident Command System

A MASSIVE FIRE IS UNDERWAY IN Burlington, Wisconsin, this morning at a food processing plant.  The fire began just after 6 pm Wednesday evening at the Echo Lake Farms Produce Company, a 70,000 sq. ft. plant that processes egg products, and has reportedly brought units from about 80 fire departments to the scene.

WISN-TV

The Chicago Tribune is telling us:

The fire broke out about 6:05 p.m., according to City Administrator Kevin Lahner.  "As of right now, we have departments from Racine, to Milwaukee and Waukesha and Kenosha counties, and some from Northern Illinois," Lahner said.

The factory processes egg products, Lahner said. There is some "ammonia present" but it’s not a concern at the moment, Lahner said, and a hazardous materials team from Racine is monitoring air quality around the site.

At 5:30 am Central, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reported that the fire is still ongoing and that it appears the plant will be a total loss.  City officials have already met with Echo Lakes Farms officers and assured them that the city will assist in any way that they can to rebuild the plant which is one of the city's largest employers with 300 workers.

The building has been added onto several times over the years and the interior has been described as a "honeycomb," making it difficult for the firefighters to reach the various fires.

WISN-TV has some good video of the fire HERE.

UPDATE, Saturday am:  The fire eventually escalated to 13 alarms bringing units from 92 departments.  See our updated report that includes the run card, more video, and more details HERE.

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Posted by on January 31, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

3-Alarm Fire at Culturally-Historic Factory Building in Russia

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Two Fatalities
Famous Among Photographic Community

A MID-DAY FIRE IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, caused significant damage to the former LOMO camera and optics factory Tuesday.

Fontanka photo

The fire started during a construction job on the roof of the 3-story factory building that dates back 100 years.  The fire grew quickly and spread down into the top floor, bringing a 2nd- and 3rd-alarm responses.

Heavy, thick smoke filled the entire downtown region of St. Petersburg during the afternoon.  Forty people were evacuated from the fire building, but at least two people died in the blaze.

Fontanka photo

There is no information yet on the exact cause of the fire or why the two victims perished.  The official in charge of proclaiming a short-circuit as the cause has not yet arrived on site.

LOMO was a world-famous quality camera produced during the Soviet Union era and has a strong following of near-cult levels of fans around the world.

A citizen supplied this raw video:

 

There are early reports from Ria Novosti HERE,
and Fontanka HERE.

Hat tip:  James C.

Ria Novosti

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Posted by on March 20, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Updated: Factory Burning in Pennsylvania

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Fire is Out

Updated, Noon:  Fire is out, but plant shut down temporarily.  Scroll down for update.

A WELL-KNOWN LOCAL CANDY MANUFACTURING company in Washington County, Pennsylvania, is burning this morning just south of Pittsburgh.  The Sarris Candy plant in Canonsburg caught fire in the ice cream portion of the factory around 7 am.  The first-arriving units found smoke coming from all the top-floor windows and roof vents in that wing and called a 2nd alarm.

WTAE-TV

KDKA-TV posted this early video taken from their helicopter:

 

The firefighters were able to contain the fire to that one section by surrounding it with hose streams and had it under control around an hour later.

There are apartments on the 2nd-floor above the ice cream parlor and all residents are believed to have escaped safely.

WTAE-TV

Sarris Candy is a favorite destination for western Pennsylvanians who visit the ice cream parlor and the candy store.  Sarris Candies are widely used for fundraising sales by schools and scout troops.

Update,  Noon Eastern:
WTAE-TV in an update tells,

Sarris said a significant amount of Easter candy was lost, but the building was not completely destroyed. He said they're trying to reopen the building's ice cream shop as soon as possible, and chocolate production should resume within a few days.

(Canonsburg Fire Chief Tom) Lawrence said there was minimal structure damage — most of it in the packaging area, where many boxes for the various chocolates were kept. He thinks the fire may have started in the furnace area, but the cause is still under investigation by a state police fire marshal.

The fire was contained mostly in the roof and the attic, concentrated at the ice cream end of the building.  No injuries were reported, either civilian or firefighter.  The state police fire investigator is on the scene.

WTAE-TV has additional video and more early details on the fire HERE.

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Posted by on February 3, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

18-Tanker Relay at Mill Fire in Rhode Island

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Able to Put a Stop On the Fire

A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A 161-YR.-OLD FACTORY/MILL BUILDING in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, late Sunday night.  The blaze destroyed most of the original portion of the building, but firefighters were able to contain it and prevent it from spreading into a newer addition.

WPRI-TV

There were some people working in their offices in one of the tenancies when they noticed some light smoke in the building.  The called the FD and when the firefighters arrived they found heavier smoke filling the old mill building.  At first they entered the building to search for the seat of the fire, but within three minutes they realized it was lost, telling WPRI-TV:

"You could actually just watch it go the length of the building. You got almost a 200-year-old building, oil soaked floors, who knows what else," said Fire Chief Michael Williams.

(They said) it took roughly 20 minutes for fire to tear through the historic 15,000 square foot building.

WPRI-TV filed this video report from the scene:

 

Fire destroys historic Hopkinton mill: wpri.com

The 150-ft x 300-ft.wooden building is in a non-hydrant area, so 18 tankers were brought in to relay water from local ponds and a 280,000-gal. holding tank at an industrial park.

WPRI-TV

The Westerly Sun has a 24-image photo gallery HERE.
The Sun also has a write-up HERE.
WPRI-TV has more plus additional video HERE.
Extensive photo gallery at Dunn's Corners Fire Department WEBSITE.

Hat tip:  Jon Marr

The community's historic landmark is a total loss.  (WPRI-TV)

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Posted by on November 1, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Updated – Vacant Factory Fire in Pennsylvania in Progress

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Former Chinaware Plant

Update, Wednesday morning:  Video and later information added.  Scroll down.

A MASSIVE FIRE IS RAGING through an entire factory complex in New Castle, Pennsylvania, at this hour (10 pm Tuesday).  The fire started sometime between 5:30 and 6:00 pm in the old Shenango China plant and has spread throughout the main building.

WTAE-TV

Firefighters from several departments are working to contain the fire and keep it from spreading into a ceramics buisness that occupies one end of the facility.  The fire was still out of control as of 9 pm in the city located about 45 miles NW of Pittsburgh.

Update, Wednesday morning:
WKBN-TV filed this video report recorded before nightfall:

 

The fire was reported under control at 8:30 pm, but it continued to burn well into the night.  About an hour after the FD began operations a shift in the wind drove the fire into some nearby woods and threatened a fire engine positioned there, but the truck was saved and the woods fire was successfully put out.  The containment actions also saved the aforementioned ceramics company, keeping the fire from spreading into it.

The former Shenango China firm was world-famous, but they shut down operations about 20 years ago and the building has been vacant since then.

There were some initial difficulties in attacking the fire as reported by the Beaver County Times:

(Assistant Fire Chief David) Joseph said the blaze caused problems for firefighters from the very beginning. Initial reports had the fire breaking out at Reliable Lumber, which sent firefighters onto Sampson Street instead of Grant Street, which was the optimum site.

Before the firetrucks could even roll up to the building, they had to contact the property owner to unlock gates around the structure.

Then, once the firefighters got onto the property, the first hydrant they hooked up to was dry. Joseph estimated that his crews had to run hoses around several thousand feet to the nearest hydrants, a rarity in a city that has working hydrants every few blocks.  "This is the longest lay (of hoses) that I can remember," Joseph said. "The guys did a good job. They jumped right in."

WTAE-TV Ch. 4 Pittsburgh posted this video taken from their helicopter:

 

During the course of the fire, the roof and portions of the walls collapsed.  The building is a total loss.  The fire marshal has not yet been able to get inside to begin investigating the physical evidence, but three workmen who were working inside said that earlier they had chased out some intrlopers who they caught using torches to burn off wiring insulation in an apparent attempt to steal copper wiring.

The Beaver Valley Times has the latest coverage HERE.

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Posted by on June 28, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Factory Owner Charged in Fire Deaths of Employees

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Footwear Factory Never Obtained the Required Fire Safety Certificate

THE OWNER AND THE MANAGER of the Pinky Porsh slipper factory in Peeragarhi, India, were arrested Friday following a fire in their factory that killed 10 employees on Thursday.  They were charged with "causing death due to negligence" after it was discovered that in its 15 years of operation, the firm never obtained the necessary permit to operate.

The Times of India quotes fire officials:

"The factory had never sought an NOC (fire safety certificate). The entire building was stacked with cartons and slippers that blocked the exits. There were serious flouting of fire safety norms by the factory owners and they should have not blocked all the windows and doors. There was no way for the labourers to escape and the lone staircase at the back was filled with smoke. The iron grilles on top of the wall made it impossible for them to jump to the terraces of the nearby buildings. Our firefighters had a tough time as a result," said a senior fire officer.

The ten employees were burned alive while they were trapped in the workroom.  The lone exit was blocked and all the windows were sealed with iron bars to prevent employee stealing.

Twenty-six fire engines were sent to work the blaze in the 3-story building, but the firefighters were unable to get inside because of all the blocked doors and windows.  The FD was on the scene for 20 hours effecting the extinguishment.

NDTV provided this video report from the scene:

 

The Indian Express has the DETAILS.
The New Delhi News has more HERE.

Posted by on April 30, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Fertilizer Plant Destroyed in Overnight Fire

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Total Destruction Leaves 60 Out of Work

A FERTILIZER PLANT IN HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, has been destroyed following a fire that burned all night into Tuesday morning.  The fire in the  Agrium Rainbow plant has been knocked down, but the fire officials say that they will probably remain on the scene for at least two more days working the hot spots and hidden fire pockets.

(unattributed photo)

The fire was believed to have started in the break room around 7 pm and spread rapidly, initiating several explosions as the flames advanced through the chemical compounds used.  The fertilizer was tailored for use on tobacco plants and some other agricultural products as well.  

The chemicals used at the plant were a nitrogen based fertilizer, sulfur, and a phosphate based fertilizer.

The surrounding area was evacuated during the night, but everyone has been allowed to return home this morning. There have been no air quality hazards detected during or after the incident.

Fire units from three counties, including the home Darlington County, attended the fire.

SC Now has video, more photos, and the full STORY HERE.

Posted by on February 15, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,