NFPA Journal - March/April 2018 - 84

Firewatch
An employee checking on a motor in
the shop's engine room spotted the fire
and called 911 at 1:29 p.m.
The shop was located in a rural area
approximately 150 to 200 yards from
the nearest road. Fire department
vehicles, including engines and water
tankers, were forced to negotiate a
single lane of muddy terrain to access
the structure. Firefighters reported
that the difficulties encountered with
accessing the property slowed fire
department response.
Newspapers reported that crews
from at least nine fire protection
districts responded to the fire, which
took an hour and a half to bring under
control.
Investigators determined that the
fire was caused by an unspecified
mechanical failure on an engine that
was used to power the shop's equipment. As the fire grew, it caused a
diesel fuel tank to rupture, further
fueling the flame spread. Investigators

noted that wind speeds of 20 to 30
miles an hour on the day of the fire,
as well as the presence of a number of
other combustible materials inside the
shop, contributed to the rapid growth
of the fire.
An employee retrieved a fire extinguisher after spotting the engine on
fire, but all occupants were able to
evacuate the facility as the fire quickly
grew. No injuries were reported.
The building was a single-story
structure occupying a ground floor
area of 3,600 square feet (334 square
meters). It was constructed with a
wood frame, metal walls, and metal
roof cover. The floor was concrete.
The building was not equipped with
either a sprinkler system or automatic
detection equipment.
The fire caused $500,000 in damage
to the building, valued at $750,000,
and an additional $275,000 in damage
to its contents, which was estimated at
$500,000.

Public Assembly
FLORIDA
Welding torch ignites blaze during
construction work at concert venue
Fire broke out at a concert venue that
was closed for the night after a welding torch ignited unspecified materials
in the ceiling during construction
work.
Firefighters were dispatched to
the scene by an automatic fire alarm
at 7:47 p.m. A passerby called 911 to
report the fire at approximately the
same time.
Crews were on the scene within
two minutes of notification, but fire
department reports indicated that
the flames spread quickly across the
ceiling and throughout the structure.
According to newspaper coverage,
crews fought the fire for nearly six
hours before it was brought under

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - March/April 2018
