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rwo978
Turbo Poster
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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 Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 13:10 Post subject: 2 apartment buildings burned to the ground... |
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I've never seen a fire this big.  Was the 2nd emergency vehicle on scene. First was one of my co-workers, who called dispatch all calm and collected on the radio "ummm, might want to call the fire dept... there's a 3 story apt building under construction and the whole east side is on fire.... and they might want to start mutual aid..."
Enroute, I could see smoke and glow from about 2 miles north. I got within a block, as close as I went cuz I figured no one else but fire needed to get closer, so I started traffic. Only thing with this street, one way in/out and there's about 8 other established apts on it. There were some unhappy campers when they were told they couldn't go home after bar closing....  |
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rwo978
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Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 13:13 Post subject: |
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‘Big ol’ fireball’ - Fire razes two apartment buildings under construction in West Fargo; cause unknown
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Thursday, August 07, 2008
UPDATED 11:36 a.m.
The chances of finding the cause of a fire that decimated two unfinished apartment buildings in West Fargo early Thursday are “not great,” a deputy state fire marshal said.
“Until we get looking, you never know,” said Jerry Crane, who was on site.
Smoldering rubble was all that remained of the two 42-unit buildings at Lake Crest Apartments Thursday morning.
A single propped-up fire hose shot water onto a pile of smoldering wood to keep an electrical transformer buried in the rubble cool, while a gray haze hung over West Fargo’s Eagle Run development just to the south.
West Fargo Fire Chief Roy Schatschneider said a police officer spotted a “very intense” fire about 1 a.m. in the south apartment building at 3027 7th St. W.
The wood-framed building – which was under construction and not yet enclosed – was engulfed when firefighters arrived, and the north building was starting to catch fire from the radiant heat, Schatschneider said.
Firefighters and witnesses reported seeing flames shooting 50 to 100 feet into the air.
“My buddy knocked on the door and woke me up and said, ‘Something’s going on,’ and I looked out the window and it was all orange,” said Tyler Highness, who lives in an apartment across the street.
Schatschneider said there were no obvious signs of foul play, but officials had yet to examine the rubble of the south building, and they didn’t know where in the building the fire started.
“Everything is speculation at this point,” he said.
Highness’ roommate, Trent Askelson, said he got home from work and parked his Chevy Cavalier on the street alongside the south building shortly before the fire started. He said he didn’t see anyone in or around the building.
“I got home about 15 minutes before fire trucks got here, and I didn’t see nothing,” he said.
Askelson said he was standing 100 yards away from the fire and could feel the heat on his legs. It melted a plastic taillight cover and the rear right quarter panel and caused the paint to bubble on his car. Two other vehicles parked on the street also were damaged, officials said.
“It didn’t take long for that one to go down, though,” Askelson said of the south building. “Just all wood. Big ol’ fireball.”
In addition to the buildings, the fire destroyed three forklifts and a trailer on the construction site. Two other trailers had heat damage, Schatschneider said.
Dietrich Construction of Fargo was building the apartments. The north building was nearly finished, Schatschneider said.
He and Crane said it’s difficult to determine the origin and cause of a fire after the structure collapses and burns.
“You get something like this, best thing that could happen is you have an eyewitness,” Schatschneider said.
Schatschneider said damage to the buildings and equipment could total $2 million to $3 million. An official damage estimate wasn’t available.
About 35 West Fargo firefighters fought the blaze and were assisted by three trucks and from Horace and two from Fargo, he said.
West Fargo firefighters remained on the scene into the morning, monitoring flare-ups and directing traffic at the apartment complex, which is three blocks west of Sheyenne Street and about a mile south of Interstate 94.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528 |
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rwo978
Turbo Poster
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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rwo978
Turbo Poster
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 14:38 Post subject: |
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From the OT thread.... he's got better links.
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EVAC41
Regular
Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 84
Location: Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 21:09 Post subject: |
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| Just heard on the news they are suspecting arson |
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CrownVic97
Regular
Joined: 29 Nov 2006
Posts: 300
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
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| Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 21:28 Post subject: Re: |
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| EVAC41 wrote: |
| Just heard on the news they are suspecting arson |
Wouldn't doubt it, but it could also be electrical too. Either way, that was one heck of a blaze. |
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rwo978
Turbo Poster
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Thu 7-Aug-2008 21:59 Post subject: |
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| The first building didn't have any electrical yet. It was basically a wodden shell. |
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Will
Regular
Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 297
Location: Camdan CO,Missouri
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| Posted: Fri 8-Aug-2008 08:42 Post subject: |
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| Unless the Amish are building it I'm sure it has electric some were. |
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EVAC41
Regular
Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 84
Location: Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Sat 9-Aug-2008 23:44 Post subject: Re: |
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| Will wrote: |
| Unless the Amish are building it I'm sure it has electric some were. |
What I heard from the news the evening is that no electrical or plumming(SP) where connected to both buildings. Also they are now saying it's arson. |
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rwo978
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Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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ffjwhite
Contributing Gold Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2005
Posts: 2239
Location: Bombay, NY
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| Posted: Sun 17-Aug-2008 21:16 Post subject: Re: |
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Wow you figured there would be some betters videos from people that arent freaking out. Looks like it was one hell of a fire. Anyone get hurt? |
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rwo978
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Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 2342
Location: West Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Mon 18-Aug-2008 06:45 Post subject: |
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Not that I've heard. Only possibles would have been injuries of FFs. No one was living in those buildings yet. The north one was almost finished and the south one was just a wood shell.
Someone told me there were a couple vids on Youtube. Not the greatest, but it still shows it rollin pretty good. Just turn the volume down...  |
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EVAC41
Regular
Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 84
Location: Fargo, ND
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| Posted: Mon 18-Aug-2008 19:50 Post subject: |
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OMG!!!!
I wish I was there now directing traffic.... |
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