Dan Daly, Journal staff | Posted: Saturday, October 20, 2007 11:00 pm
|
SPEARFISH - The
blaze that destroyed three businesses in Spearfish Saturday
probably began as an electrical fire, according to Fire Chief Doug
Custis of the Spearfish Volunteer Fire Department.
The building at
4311 Colorado Blvd. was a steel structure divided into three
separate business spaces. It housed Fastenal, the Spearfish office
of Prudential Kahler Realtors and Black Hills Urethane
Co.
It was reported
shortly before 7 a.m. The point of origin appears to be the rear
part of the Black Hills Urethane business, which was in the center
of the building, and Custis said the cause of the fire will likely
be ruled an accident.
"There was a fairly
heavy fuel loads inside, and that metal skin holds the heat in like
an oven," he said.
Black Hills
Urethane had various chemicals used for molding. Fastenal, a dealer
in industrial and construction supplies, contained a lot of plastic
bins and aerosol products. Prudential Kahler received the least
fire damage.
The blaze was
likely burning long before 7 a.m., Custis said. When crews arrived,
they found the building filled with heavy smoke.
"It was leaking
smoke from everywhere, out of the eave seams and everything like
that," Custis said. "I think it was probably through most of the
attic space at that time."
Custis said about
30 firefighters, including seven from Belle Fourche Volunteer Fire
Department, fought the blaze for more than four hours. He said
local law enforcement handled traffic control, the ambulance
service stood by and the fire department's Ladies Auxiliary
supported the crews as well.
Nobody was injured
in the fire.
Crews began with
the idea of saving the building. "But you soon make the realization
that you can't put people inside anymore; we switched from an
offensive to a defensive mode," he said.
By the time fire
crews had brought the blaze under control, between 11 a.m. and
11:30 a.m., the building's had roof caved in. All that remained
were the walls of the steel structure.
The Spearfish
Volunteer Fire Department has fought a record nine structure fires
this year. "It's been one of those years," he said.
Custis said
Saturday's blaze was the biggest structure fire since January, when
Blue Spruce Paint Co. burned in the industrial park on the west
edge of the city.
Contact Dan Daly at
394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com
