Large-Loss Fires for 2005: The direct property loss in large-loss fires was down by USD180 million

摘要

SHORTLY AFTER NOON on July 5, 2005, the fire department was alerted to a fire in a 100,000-square-foot (9,290.304-square-meter) sawmill. The one-story sawmill was of heavy-timber construction. A fire of undetermined cause broke out in the area of an electric motor above a dryer. First arriving firefighters were told the fire was out, but they found a deep-seated fire. They extinguished the fire above the dryer area, out smoke and heat continued to build up. The fire burned in concealed areas until it spread to the heavy timber bowstring truss roof. There was a wet-pipe sprinkler system but it was soon overwhelmed by the rapidly spreading fire. Several interior attacks were attempted. These attacks proved futile and the firefighters were withdrawn as the fire spread to and through the truss roof. The mill was 80 percent destroyed and a large portion of the roof collapsed. The resulting loss was slightly more than USD23 million. Investigators determined there was a delay in contacting the fire department as mill employees attempted to extinguish the fire. Just before midnight on February 4, 2005, a second fire of still-undetermined cause with a reported loss of USD23 million broke out in a bio-laboratory that was under construction. The fire began in a room used to store construction equipment, three levels below ground. The fire was contained to the room of origin, but smoke spread throughout the 60,000-square-foot (5,574-square-meter) facility. Because this was a facility requiring a sterile environment, all previously installed equipment was damaged. It had to be removed and replaced.