Depressing Pictures

[FoMoCoPower]

The following pictures are of what used to be my friend`s new garage. I don`t remember the exact measurements though,but it was not small. It was only about 3-years old.

This happened Friday Feb 12th 2010. He was working on the F150 pictured and he started it up,not knowing that one fuel injector was not seated and spraying fuel all over the motor. Something ignited the fuel and that was it. They tried to put it out,but got nowhere fast. So they tried to get what they could out of the garage. The Tahoe did not have a battery in it,so it had to be dragged out. He also had a couple Harleys that made it out,but still suffered heat damage.

The tool box was a bright green Snap-On box,and it is now scrap metal. Suprisingly though,I found a set of toasted Gear Wrenches in it that still worked perfect!! He lost all of his tools,compressor,welders,hoists,generators,spare parts,a snowmobile, atleast 2 ATV`s,and much much more. But it could have been much worse,nobody got hurt. I was really suprised at how bad it was. Everything in the garage was lost.

Be careful guys!!!!

 

[alamerang]

That's just terrible. I hope he was insured.

 

[marty_p]

He has my sympathy...

 

[flatheadguy]

That is a genuine disaster. I'm sorry that anyone has to suffer thaat kind of loss. But, human nature prevails. With friends and perserverance, he'll be back together soon. The keyword is "Friends". THose who will help him sort through everything and get him started again.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Man, that is awful. I hope his insurance takes care of him...

 

[Identaltech]

I hope he was well insured.
The good thing nobody was hurt.
things can be replace.
If he has good insurance he gets to rebuild and start buying new stuff.
Looks like Norwalk firedepartment was there.
They havn't lost a foundation yet.

 

[BlackLead]

Wow. That *****. Glad no one was hurt. Was the truck up on the lift? Is that why he couldn't drive it out?

 

[FoMoCoPower]

Wow. That *****. Glad no one was hurt. Was the truck up on the lift? Is that why he couldn't drive it out?

No,was just parked there being worked on. The Tahoe was parked in front of it with no battery in it.

The best part about it,the FD is 5 minutes away and it took them 20-minutes to get there!

 

[Andy4639]

Well the best thing is no one was hurt! All the other stuff is cosmatic. Man he should have cranked the truck up and drove it up against the Tahoe and pushed it out.
Hope his insurance was up to date!

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

They havn't lost a foundation yet.

OK, I'm going to have to borrow that one next time I'm picking on my hosedragger buddies...

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Woweee wow wow wow....

 

[Door-Man]

wow that is crazy. sorry for your friend. that was some serious heat in there

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Whew, well if no one was hurt its all just "stuff", nothing of real value lost. I know it's hard to swallow that, but not if your buddy had been burned or killed, if a child had been.

I tell my son, "Remember that six WEEKS after we pass everyTHING we ever lusted after, we ever bought is gone. It's lost, given away, donated or thrown away. It's all stuff"

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oops, double post. Sorry.

 

[falcon428]

Sorry for your lose, we went thru the samething a few months ago with my brother in-law, he lost a 6000 sq. ft. building with 25 restored antique tractors and all his tools and other belongings in it. Is a terrible thing to go thru for anyone, support from friends is about the best thing he can have. Good Luck!!

 

[Mickey O]

Holy ****! Glad no one was hurt. Before I looked at the pictures I was thinking how bad could the toolbox be it's made of steel, apparently worse than I could have imagined.

 

[4StarCstms]

Wow... thats...leveled! Sounds like our fire dept too. Got a fire station two blocks away (in town mind you) but when we need them, they dont come from there, they come from the Other side of town...I asked once, was told that, the station down the street, IN the city...was for the county only? WTH people?

Hope your friend has his insurance papers handy... You'd have thought he could have rolled the toolbox out the door... but at least there was no loss of life, Material things can be replaced...your buddy or his family cannot

 

[jktruck150]

Condolences to anyone that has to go through this. I hope it never happens to anyone I know. I agree, at least no one got hurt!! Time to file the claim, and head to the store and get started rebuilding...of course, it will have to be documented on GJ!!

 

[FoMoCoPower]

Source of fire was in front of toolbox,and door was at opposite end of garage.

 

[motify]

Being in the design stage of my own shop I would like to know how the interior of the walls and ceiling were finished? OSB? Sheetrock? Exposed studs? Reducing the spread of fire is one of my worries.

 

[NASMAN]

So sorry to see that.

 

[FoMoCoPower]

Being in the design stage of my own shop I would like to know how the interior of the walls and ceiling were finished? OSB? Sheetrock? Exposed studs? Reducing the spread of fire is one of my worries.

Painted OSB

 

[cyamaha2007]

How does insurance work on something like this. I was across the plant when a 16 ft straight truck caught on fire. Another employee tried to put it out with a extinguisher with no success. The loader operator pushed it through a closed 18ft door. He acted fast and mad a bad situation alot better. He saw a nice bonus that year. Its amazing how much smoke a vehicle fire puts off. Sorry for his loss.

 

[Garys Garage]

Was it his truck or side job. Remember people, know where your fire extinguisher is! Just had all mine checked. Sorry for his loss.

 

[FCFDChief2]

This is a good time to mention residental sprinkler systems. For my 3000 sq ft house the cost was $6400 for total coverage. The savings on insurance will be recouped in less than 8 years. When you are standing there helpless as you home burns this is a cheap price. Plus the peace of mind of not coming home to a smoking hulk. Systems can also be installed in unheated buildings such as garages. Fire extinguishers are a band aid at best intended to stop only small fires in the early stages. As far as the response time, did someone check the 911 log for the actual times or did it just seem like 20 minutes? If true it was too long and was there an excuse? They could have been on another emergency, roads blocked by snow, roads blocked by vehicles in the snow. Most career departments shoot for a 4 to 6 minute response time for 90% of their responses. Volunteers longer because they have to respond to the station to get the apparatus.

 

[Kevin54]

Well the best thing is no one was hurt! All the other stuff is cosmatic. Man he should have cranked the truck up and drove it up against the Tahoe and pushed it out.
Hope his insurance was up to date!

He was working on the F150 pictured and he started it up,not knowing that one fuel injector was not seated and spraying fuel all over the motor. Something ignited the fuel and that was it.

The truck is what caused it.

 

[wtfovr]

I just cried a little inside for your buddy. That is terrible. Glad no one was hurt.

Seeing that makes a residential sprinkler system seem well worth it. Now that I think about it a fire cabinet for all the flamable and combustable liquids would keep from making a bad situation a lot worse.

 

[mobetta]

wow- bummer deal there.....I feel for the loss....

hopefully his insurance pays out ell enough to cover most of it, and with 20/20 hindsight, maybe he can design some fire safe features into the new space,(5/8 fire rock or steel liner??) and most of all, buy a DIESEL truck....that stuff just does not happen with diesel fuel.

 

[rocketman]

Wow... remind me not to ever build with vinyl siding either.

It's all just stuff, no one was hurt. That's ALL that matters.

At least there weren't any Jeeps in the garage! ; )

 

[stricht8]

Would a residential sprinkler system stand a chance against a garage fire?

 

[hetkind]

that was a VERY hot fire, must have been a large amount of fuel for that level of burnout...

One of the first things I mounted in my new building was a fire bottle, by the front door.

Howard

 

[sharpshooter]

Keep us posted on how his insurance handles this!!!

 

[99SVT]

Like everyone says, just be glad no one was hurt... could have been a lot worse.

A good fire extinguisher should be in all shops... a couple of 'em in the bigger ones. Of course, this is coming from someone that does not have one in his, but I need one though.

 

[ultimatesooner]

my uncle had a similar accident a few years ago but luckily he was working on the vehicle in his driveway. He ended up getting a burn on his arm that was so bad that had to do a skin graff (sp?) from his @$$ to put skin back on his arm

 

[D.J.]

Sorry for your friend?s loss and I sure hope he had replacement cost insurance! Check the 911 tapes and I would bet for a career department, just as FCFDChief2 stated in his post, and for a volunteer department a few minutes longer, because as you stated we come up, out of a dead sleep, and respond to the station to retrieve apparatus.
The older we get there are some things that need to be taken care of before running out side into the cold night air, if you catch my drift.
When doing training at surrounding departments I've had their tones dropped and it seems like an eternity for them on a meeting night with all them in the station to drive six blocks. Just think what that time feels like to the homeowner?
Speaking of ?never losing a foundation?, we pride ourselves in ?never losing an antenna tower due to heat or fire, but we've had a few bend on us!?
________
Silver airsoft spring pistol m757s

 

[evil_twin]

Glad no one was injured. Everything can be replaced. He didn't have any fire extinguishers around? Sorry to see what happened.

 

[alan mather]

i feel his pain, my 30x50 pole barn burn't to the ground in about 30minutes in august, i am glad i had insurance, but wished that i have twice as much as i did, o well, the new barn is up, i have been finishing the inside after work at nights, and on the weekends. good luck to him, on the rebuild

 

[FCFDChief2]

Would a residential sprinkler system stand a chance against a garage fire?

A properly designed sprinkler system for the fire load usually found in a garage would hold the fire in check and not let it grow out of control. Sprinklers are intended to hold a fire small until the troops arrive to finish the job. Unlike what you see on TV most sprinkler activations are with three heads or less. They DO NOT all go off at the same time like on TV. We always advised to place fire extinguishers next to the exit doors. That way when you get to it and look back and see the fire is too big for the extinguisher you can get out safely.

 

[FoMoCoPower]

They tried to put it out,but started grabbing what they could and throwing it outside as soon as they realized it was out of their control.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

This is a good time to mention residental sprinkler systems. For my 3000 sq ft house the cost was $6400 for total coverage. The savings on insurance will be recouped in less than 8 years. When you are standing there helpless as you home burns this is a cheap price.

You know, as much as I've looked at this site and thought about what I would like to have in my shop, the thought of fire protection has never entered my mind. I don't think in all the photos I've seen on here that I've seen anything other than a fire extinguisher in a residential shop. Now that you brought it up, a sprinkler system in the garage/shop isn't a bad idea. Neither is a wall mounted fire hose like one of these:

http://www.firedirect.ie/firehoses.htm

I guess if you think about it, its not much more than some black iron pipe and sprinkler heads...