| Issues | Comments |
| The Facility | Constructed prior to World War II, the facility's
buildings were of unprotected ordinary construction.
Improper storage of flammables, poor housekeeping
practices in manufacturing areas, and non-compliance
with fire codes created significant risk of structural
collapse and exaggerated firefighter hazards.
|
| Delayed Alarm | There was no fire detection and alarm system and the
fire went unreported until it had become well involved. |
| Fire Origin | The fire was determined to have been caused by an
electrical event stemming from a failure in an
electric panel box in the manufacturing building.
Fire Department inspectors had previously cited
electrical problems. |
| Tactical Considerations | Because of the time of the incident, fire ground
officers had no plant personnel to consider.
Restricted access and spread of the fire due to
significant radiant heat and a fully developed
firestorm was the most pressing problem. Officers
directed immediate deployment of heavy streams and
established perimeters for firefighters. Firefighters
quickly set up heavy streams, limiting spread to
immediate exposures and spot fires which were
controlled by secondary hand lines. |
| Environmental Concerns | Concern for run-off of various flammable liquids and
hazardous chemicals was cause for deployment of
floating booms to lessen contamination of the
riverway. Some flammable chemical fires were
contained and allowed to burn down, since tactical
operations had limited their contribution to the
overall fire. |
| Water Supply | Officers addressed water issues early in the fire as
draft operations were considered and subsequently
ruled out. A pressure increase of the distribution
system was requested; the water department
responded promptly but two main breaks resulted
from the increase of line pressure. Fireboat
operations eased the water supply concerns. |
| Mutual Aid | Established mutual aid procedures with various
emergency response providers assured prompt
response to needs. Department procedures were in
place to assure adequate staffing despite the
extraordinary demands of the fire. |
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