Fire-Ravaged Boat Marina Made Fire Safe During Reconstruction
FEATURES
FIRE PREVENTION
and
The photos in this article were taken by Alan Robson and Scott MacCallum
In May 1980, a building that housed a marine storage company in Seminole, FL, was totally devastated by a fire that caused $5.5-6 million worth of damage (see “Explosion, Rapid Fire Spread Dooms Steel Storage Shed Filled with Boats,” FIRE ENGINEERING, December 1980). Losses included the total destruction of 240 boats and 5,000 gallons of fuel within only 20 minutes.
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Shortly after the incident occurred, the marina’s owner and the Seminole fire marshal combined forces to reconstruct the building so that it would be much more fire safe.
In July 1985, the Bay Pines Marina reopened after being rebuilt with a new fire protection system that cost approximately $85,000. The building itself, minus its contents, is valued at $700,000.
BUILDING RECONSTRUCTION
Fire code enforcement
An insufficient water supply and the absence of a built-in fire protection/detection system seem to be the major factors that contributed to the 1980 fire loss. The original structure was built before the law required that modern fire codes be enforced.
During the reconstruction, the owner made sure he was complying with existing fire codes and ordinances. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Code 303 was the primary reference for marina code compliance. County and city fire laws were also used as a point of reference. Construction safeguards that met or exceeded the standards of present laws were also used.
Construction features
The new structure is an all metal truss building, approximately the same size as the original 100-foot X 315-foot building. The new marina contains an additional 20 crafts, necessitating 260, instead of 240, boat racks. Four exit doors have been installed. Two of them are extra-high 45-foot overhead doors.
The metal sides of the building have a 12-inch opening at the ground level that extends entirely around the outside of the building. This helps drainage during periods of flooding and aids in proper ventilation. In addition, extra skylights have been installed, and wide ridge vents were placed throughout the building.
The boat racks were constructed of extra-heavy-duty steel in order to withstand the potential added weight of water in the boats during fire suppression.
Protection/detection system
The new building has an automatic sprinkler detection /protection system with manual pull stations, all supervised by a private company. The dual sprinkler system (looped roof system and rack system) has two separate risers that are supplemented by an isolated 750-gpm fire pump that is connected to a city water main. The sprinkler system can be supplemented by four standpipes with built-in foam eductors and 30 gallons of foam at each station.
The owner installed two new city fire hydrants within 300 feet of the building. An additional fire department connection with a drafting hydrant was installed at the seawall.
SUMMARY
The Seminole fire marshal and the Fire Prevention Division of the Seminole Fire Rescue Department recently trained all marina employees in foam application and fire safety. Fire code requirements are posted throughout the building (“No Smoking,” “No Maintenance Performed Inside,” etc.).
An inspection by surveyors showed the marina to be extremely fire safe.
Unfortunately, it often takes a catastrophe, such as the marina fire in 1980, to affect changes and improvements in a building’s fire protection system. Hopefully, this joint effort to rebuild with fire safety in mind will set an example for others to follow.
