The Danvers Butchery Meat Market and Cold Storage (Danvers, Massachusetts - August 13, 2002) » Lessons Learned

1. The arsonist remains a difficult challenge to fire prevention.

   Most fire codes are written to control conditions within a building, but outside arson fires have plagued communities for years. While it is probably beyond the scope of the local fire inspector to do much about this, there are some preventative measures that building owners can take.

   First, the presence of lighting will deter some crimes, and while motion detector activation is not highly reliable, it may be preferred by some over the cost of constant illumination. It was policy to have yard lighting on at the Butchery, but it is unknown if they were working. Power was already disconnected when the first trained eyes got to the scene.

   Second, the material believed to have been used to start the fire was removed from a dumpster on the premises. If the dumpster was chained shut, the garbage bag would not have been available. Motive and opportunity may not have changed, but the ignition material would not have been available.

   Third, good housekeeping around a building will eliminate many potential combustibles which may be used for illegal purposes or might hinder fire department access. The obvious community benefit can’t be ignored either.

   It would have been useful if the property had been surrounded with security fencing.

   All four of these suggestions could be offered during a routine fire inspection, and would be seen as proactive.

2. Delayed reporting resulted in a well developed fire requiring a second alarm.

   The outside point of origin is clearly the major factor in the growth of the fire without detection. It was well advanced when a neighbor was alerted, and the alarm system only functioned once the fire entered the structure. Earlier detection would have likely required substantially less suppression efforts and resources.

   The possible application of external detection devices should be explored for high risk property. In some western areas, primarily with common dry ground cover and serious wildfire risks, external fire sprinklers are currently used to protect buildings from exposure. Adapting wildfire technologies to urban structures may provide another loss prevention approach, especially in confined areas such as alleyways.

3. Commercial buildings should be designed to limit the spread of flame and smoke between sections.

   Because of the high fire risk, protective devices like fire doors were historically incorporated into commercial and industrial buildings. In today’s structures, they have largely been replaced by fire sprinklers which are designed to limit or extinguish flames and for life safety. A sprinkler system does not manage smoke. With increasing amounts of petroleum based materials in buildings and their voluminous smoke characteristics, smoke travel deserves more attention.

   The building damage beyond the physical “Barn” was largely caused by smoke, and the resulting cleaning, repair, or replacement added to the high fire loss. The smoke spread was made possible by the removal of the Barn’s first floor, east wall prior to the fire. Compartmentalization could have prevented a lot of damage. A fully sprinklered building, including the attic, would have substantially limited the interior destruction.

4. Structures venting flame upon the fire department’s arrival call for large hose streams.

   The acting officer of the first arriving fire apparatus, Engine 3, observed a structure fire venting flames at the attic level and through the roof and made a quick decision about the suppression method. With only three firefighters, the truck position was textbook since it did not block the road and allowed the driver to hook up the hydrant without assistance.

   Often, a fire can be quickly knocked down using large hand lines or even master streams, and traditional interior attacks can follow. Any attack initiated with large water volumes must be supported by an adequate water supply, and conventional fire trucks seldom carry sufficient water to sustain large water flows for any extended period. It must also be realized that this technique is being used to knock down, and usually not extinguish, heavy fire. Water must be available to complete suppression and continue through overhaul.

   The lack of a water supply for Engine 2 limited the crew’s effectiveness during the Butchery fire. The combination of a broken hydrant, lack of a close back-up hydrant, and a long supply line without pump support made this a difficult tactical objective. Fortunately, the effectiveness of Engine 3’s deck gun and hand lines limited the urgency of that challenge.

5. Some buildings should be brought closer to code compliance.

   While The Danver’s Butchery is hardly unique in being “grandfathered” for years, questions remain for such buildings about the extent that upgrades can and should be enforced. The economic implications of improvements cannot be ignored, but basic construction practices like rated horizontal barriers should be required. Renovation plans for the Barn in 1990 show 1 hour rate stairway enclosures and doors, and yet an open stairway to the attic remained. The second floors suspended ceiling merely covered up open rafters in many places including Office G where the fire quickly spread into the attic.

   While it may be cheaper for the business to pay more for insurance than to do improvements, the building and firefighters’ safety suffer. If it had been possible to enter the attic during this event, a firefighter could have easily fallen through open rafters that were not detectable from below.

   The fire caused enough damage that the repairs would mandate code compliance throughout the complex, which is probably not cost effective. Current plans are to raze the complex, sell the land for two or three house lots, and build a new store in a different location that offers more parking and less controversy with neighbors.

6. A predetermined mutual aid plan initiated early during a serious fire helps assure adequate personnel and equipment.

   The Danvers Fire Department had a mutual aid and call back plan in place prior to this fire. Consequently, adequate personnel were present to assist at the scene and cover the community. In all, seven area communities provided help with six engines and one ladder truck.

   An appropriately equipped engine also provided an important second water supply. The early activation of mutual aid got this supply in place a lot quicker than other strategies would have allowed. Command would have had to wait for recalled firefighters to respond with Engine 4 since Engine 2 was committed to a location without sufficient staffing to move the 4" line and attempt taking another hydrant.

   Command’s decision to fall back to an exterior attack did not necessitate use of all the mutual aid companies, but they were available if needed.

7. The effectiveness of the fire service cannot always be judged by dollar loss.

   The Danvers Butchery fire had a relatively high dollar loss and yet much of the structure is intact or certainly repairable. Its use as a market left inventory exposed, and it had to be thrown out. Some display and cooling equipment in the center section of the complex was also lost. At the same time, a significant amount of the contents was saved including $40,000 in food and many coolers, freezers, display cases, ovens, and other equipment whose value is in the tens of thousands of dollars.

   Danvers is a popular North Shore community with very high land and property values. The tax assessment for this property is over $500,000 with a land value well over $200,000. The Barn was less than half of the property’s square footage and was only in average condition when last appraised. Its replacement value, however, is quite high at current construction costs. Since the entire complex was closed up after the fire without heat or electricity, the damage from a harsh winter on the structures and mechanical systems made the loss worse.

   In reality, the aggressive suppression efforts of the Danvers Fire Department saved a substantial portion of property. The entire complex could have easily burned to the ground, but effective incident command, appropriate tactics, and a good water supply prevailed.