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Vacant Mill Burns Down in South Carolina

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Exptected to be 2 to 3 Days Mopping Up

A LARGE, VACANT FORMER TEXTILE MILL in Spartanburg, South Carolina, burned down Saturday night and is expected to keep units on the scene for about two more days.

Herald-Journal / Kimzey

Known as the Saxon Mill, the massive 5-story building was constructed in 1906, but has been vacant for several years.  The fire was discovered around 9:45 pm Saturday and already had advanced considerably by the time the FD arrived.  Extra calls were placed for mutual aid from twelve more departments bringing over 100 firefighters to the scene.

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reports:

Spartanburg County Emergency Management Coordinator Doug Bryson said the fire, which was still raging close to 1 a.m. Sunday was called in about 9:50 p.m. Saturday. No cause has been determined.  Firefighters were making an aerial attack on the blaze, Bryson said, because going inside the building was too dangerous for the time being.

"Right now, they're just trying to contain it, trying to keep it from spreading to other structures," Bryson said. "It's cooled off. The rain is helping us some. The wood floors, soaked with oil, with 100 years of textile dust – those are always an issue with these mill fires."

Herald-Journal / Kimzey

No homes in the mill village were in immediate danger, Bryson said. No hazardous materials were inside the building.

WSPA-TV posted this raw video of the fire and another from the aftermath on Sunday:

 

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WSPA-TV adds:

Firefighters say the flames at the old, empty Saxon mill were contained early Sunday morning. Una Fire Chief Jeff Hadden said he does not believe this fire was accidental. He says it's hard to know if some vagrants were inside the old mill or maybe someone trying to steal copper. They may never know the exact cause, but he says it's definitely suspicious.

The Spartanburg County Delinquent Tax Sale was on Monday, Saxton Mill was on the list.

For more details and a photo gallery, visit:
Spartanburg Herald-Journal

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Posted by on December 9, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Cause Determined for Fatal Miniature Train Wreck

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Park Train Filled With Children Jumped Tracks

THE CAUSE OF THE MINIATURE TRAIN accident this past March in Spartanburg, South Carolina has been determined to have been excessive speed with no other mitigating causes.

Herald Journal

The accident occurred on March 19 in Cleveland Park on the amusement ride's opening day of operation.  The train, loaded with mostly young childred jumped the tracks while going over a bridge that crosses a creek in the park.  The entire train tumbled into the rocky creek bed and left one 6-yr.-old boy dead and 25 others injured, several seriously.  Firegeezer reported the accident HERE.

Herald Journal

After a 2-month investigation into the accident, the Spartanburg County Coroner announced yesterday (Monday) that excessive speed was the only factor in the crash.  The Greenville News reports:

Experts pegged the train's speed at just more than 22 miles per hour when it derailed, more than twice the speed they said it should have been traveling. They said they found no issues with the track and no mechanical issues with the train when they inspected it in the weeks following the March 19 crash.

“The bottom line on this train accident was a result of train over-speed,” said Gary Wolf, president of Tuvrheinland Rail Sciences Inc., a railway engineering firm based in Atlanta, Ga. “The train was likely doing about 20 miles per hour in the curve where it derailed. The instructions for the train driver in the manual say it should not exceed about 8 mph in the curve.”

The investigators relied primarily on a video taken by one of the youngsters on the train using an iPod.  By comparing the distance traveled against the video recording speed of 33 frames per second, they deduced the actual speed.  This video report from WYFF-TV Ch. 4 covers the press conference and display:

 

The coroner says he will be turning the results over to the County Soliciter to determine whether any criminal charges will be levied.   The train's operator, Matthew Conrad didn't help his case any when he admitted to the police that he thought he was going too fast.

Read the entire article from the Greenville News HERE.

Posted by on May 24, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , ,

Miniature Train Wreck Update

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Train Operator Admits He Was Going Too Fast

SINCE THE TRAGIC ACCIDENT IN THE SPARTANBURG, South Carolina, city park where a miniature train loaded with children went off the rails, there have been some more developments.  You may recall the Firegeezer REPORT HERE on Sunday about the wreck that killed a 6-yr.-old boy and injured about 25 others.

Spartanburg Herald Journal

*  Matthew Conrad, the motorman who was operating the train told the police that he knew he was going too fast when the train came around the curve and hopped off the tracks, ending up in a stream bed.  He repeated that statement several times in the ambulance while he was being taken to the hospital, but since then he has recanted.  He says now that when he made that statement,  "I was hysterical. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't in a panic. I was completely hysterical."

His lawyer says that he can show that the train was not capable of going fast enough to jump the tracks and he believes that a pin sheared that controls the wheels of the locomotive.  The Greenville News has the details of this theory HERE.

*  South Carolina state safety inspector Donnie Carrigan was supposed to have inspected the train ride last week prior to the park's opening for the season.  But he was unable to witness its operation because the train's battery was dead.  However, he approved it anyway, against regulations, and issued the operational permit.  After the accident, the 20-year-employee admitted his action and he was immediately fired on Monday for filling out a false report.  You can read those details HERE.

*  Police officials have released a video that was taken by a passenger who was recording when the accident occurred.  This video report from AP includes that clip:

 

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Posted by on March 25, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Miniature Train Derails Killing 6-year-old Child

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25 More Children Injured, Some Seriously

Herald Journal

A MINIATURE TRAIN RIDE IN SPARTANBURG, South Carolina’s Cleveland Park derailed and tumbled off a low bridge Saturday afternoon.  The accident killed a 6-yr.-old boy.  As many as 25 more were injured including two adults.

Herald Journal

Saturday was the first day of operation for this season and the tracks had been fully inspected on Wednesday.  In addition, the train operator completed a thorough check of the equipment and ran it several times around the circuit prior to taking on the passengers Saturday.  It is not yet known what caused the train to leave the track.

Herald Journal

There are two or more children in serious condition after two of them were air lifted from the city-owned park.

Herald Journal

WSPA-TV posted this video report from the scene:

 

The Spartanburg Herald Journal has the story and a 31-image photo gallery HERE.

Posted by on March 20, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Mass Casualty Incident • Tagged: , ,