MGB: Whoa! My shop / facility may be on fire

My "shop" is in a rental storage place. right outside the Travis AFB main gate.

there's a fire going on there right now...has burned 12 on-base housing units just across the fence from the facility. just saw pix on CBS news out of Sacramento.

My building has sprinklers so I'm not terrified--yet.

Ok Mac, I'm crossing my fingers for you. Let us know what happens.

Keep us posted. We all hope it turns out OK for you.

There is going to be a good spread between the exposures and you probably have steel roofing on your place. I would sleep good tonight.

I'm watching the tube beside me now Mac. Think thats just some abandoned base housing, but a 7-alarm fire is impressive. Wishing you the best.

OldBloke Wrote:

Mac,

I don't know anything about how this stuff works, but could you create some kind of fire break between your building and the direction the fire will come from?

I'm thinking remove as much flammable stuff as possible. Keep a sprinkler going on that area to keep it wet? Cut the weeds/grass really short and rake up the dead grass and leafs, trim dead branches, etc...

Betst of luck!

Bryan

Jim Legg was right. Burned were about 125 old housing units on Travis AFB, all slated for demolition anyway (they were packed in pretty close, thus the count). Much of the on-base housing is to be demolished with only some scheduled to be replaced.

Took a look today.

Fire looks like it started in a field behind some shops. Most likely in my mind is some asshole threw away a cigarette butt, it was blown into the dry grass and started. I can't see any other logical source of ignition. From there the winds moved it across about 50 yards of field...the fire burned only where the wind pushed it, diagonally half the field is still dried unburned brush, the wind was running diagonally across the field. When it got to a chain link fence separating the field from the base, it just went right on through the fence and started on the abandoned buildings.

The storage facility where my shop is has a concrete block wall about 8 feet high surrounding it. The wall was scorched in some areas, worse in the corner where the fire spread onto the base. But as far as we could see, there were no flames over the wall and in any event there wasn't any readily available fuel for any small embers to catch.

Whew! Thats a load off, huh?