| Issues | Comments |
| Delayed Fire Reporting | The fire was allegedly set by an arsonist in the
middle of the night on the building’s exterior
where no detection devices were present. The fire
had to enter the structure before being detected.
A neighbor also noticed the fire, but it was not
reported until the detection system alarmed.
|
| Lack of Fire Rated Barriers | Once inside the building, the fire had few barriers
to slow its spread. Only the rapid response
and aggressive attack by the fire department
saved the complex. The original building was
expanded on several occasions, but no barriers
separated the additional compartments. |
| Unsprinklered Commercial
Space | The age of this complex made it exempt from
fire sprinkler requirements, although their presence
would have reduced the fire loss. |
| Large Hose Streams Used for
Quick Knockdown |
Faced with a large fire volume, firefighters
attacked with a 2-1/2" hose line from a hydrant
supplied engine and a 1-3/4" preconnect from a
quint’s onboard water supply.
|
| Predetermined Mutual Aid
Plan |
A total of six engines and one ladder company
responded to Danvers during the fire. The engines
closest to the fire were dispatched there to assist,
and one established a crucial second water supply.
|
| Fireground Hazards Were
Present | The complex’s electrical service lines disconnected
from the building and were arcing against
the ground in a key suppression location. |
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