Fast-Spreading Fire Destroys Old Factory
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Photo courtesy of Sidney Daily News
A fast spreading fire destroyed a manufacturing plant in Ohio, causing an estimated $1 million loss. The cause of the blaze was listed as incendiary.
The heavily timbered four-story brick structure was occupied by the Hawthorne-Seving Company, manufacturers of grain handling equipment. Originally built in the 1880’s as a buggy factory, the 187 x 62foot building lacked sprinkler and standpipe systems, smoke and heat detectors and interior fire walls, allowing the fire to quickly spread throughout the length of the building. Paints, oils, thinners and cardboard packaging helped feed the flames, resulting in the largest fire in Sidney since 1939.
The fire was discovered at 2345 hours last April 6 by a police officer on routine patrol. The Sidney Fire Department, notified by the police dispatcher responded with Engines 1 and 4, Ladder 5 and Squad 7. The apparatus and the six men on the shift arrived on the fireground at 2347.
Fire on three floors
Assistant Chief Dale White, shift commander, found fire showing on the first three floors in the south end of the building. White got 17 more fire fighters by immediately ordering a recall of all off-duty fire fighters. He also special-called an aerial ladder from the Shelby County Civil Defense Fire and Rescue.
An interior attack was started on the east side of the building as 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 -inch lines were stretched from Engine 1 through the office door and window. Attack crews were operating on the second floor when inventory from the third floor fell through to the second floor directly in front of them. All personnel were ordered from the building for the duration of the incident.
While the interior attack was under way, Ladder 5, a 1250-gpm quint, set up a ladder pipe on the southeast corner and also supplied a deluge set and a 2 1/2-inch hand line on the south side. Fire fighters attempted to forcibly enter a loading dock door on the south side to enable the deluge stream to reach the seat of the fire. However, due to past burglaries, the door was secured exceptionally well, and they were unable to gain entry.
Engine 4 laid a 5-inch supply line from a hydrant on Main Street one block west along the railroad to the southwest corner of the building. A chain link fence surrounding the warehouse was cut and 2 1/2-inch hand line was stretched to the roof of the warehouse on the west side. Later, additional lines were used to supply the water tower of the Shelby County aerial from Engine 4. However, the hydrant was inoperable due to a broken stem, so two 2 1/2-inch lines were hand-laid from the hydrant at Main and Lane Sts. and siamesed into the 5-inch line, resulting in a 15-minute delay in obtaining a water supply.
Defensive efforts
This proved to be the turning point according to White. Fire fighters were starting to darken the fire with the exterior attack, but without lines on the west side, the fire was just pushed deeper into the building. Efforts were then directed on controlling the fire brands and protecting exposures.
Off-duty Sidney fire fighters brought Engine 2, Unit 3 (a minipumper), and Squads 6 and 8. At 0031, White radioed the Shelby County Central dispatch for mutual aid. Anna, Fort Loramie and Lockington responded with one engine each, while the County Civil Defense responded with a heavy rescue.
Anna’s Engine 3 hooked to the hydrant at Miami and Shelby Sts. and pumped to Sidney Engine 2, which set up a deluge set, two 2 1/2-inch hand lines and two l 1/2-inch hand lines on the northwest corner of the building. Fort Loramie Engine 3 assisted in covering exposures in that area, while Lockington manned the empty Sidney Station. Sidney Unit 3 was assigned to fire patrol in the residential section just north of the fire area and extinguished several small roof fires.
The fire continued to burn with great intensity, and at approximately 0130, the roof collapsed, and at 0215, the first wall collapse occurred. Prior to this, some of the apparatus had to be repositioned to prevent damage from falling bricks. After the walls collapsed, most of the lines were shut down except for a deluge set, which was used to control fire brands. The mutual aid departments were released at 0323, 0335 and 0552. All Sidney units were back in quarters at 0630 with the exception of one engine left for fire watch.
