In many cases when a fire breaks out, several firefighters are needed on the scene. In some instances, a dozen or more firefighters are required to put out the flames. But, there are those rare examples when many more are needed, and that was the case recently with a fire in Charlotte, North Carolina. Earlier this month in the late afternoon a fire started at the Caraustar Recovered Fiber recycling plant, and it quickly turned into a massive blaze that consumed much of the building.
This company is one of the largest manufacturers of recycled paperboard products, so it is easy to see how a fire in this facility could spread so rapidly. What began as a small fire quickly turned into something much larger, with plumes of black smoke filling the air. Once it became clear that this was no ordinary fire, teams of firefighters arrived on the scene in droves, with more than 75 emergency workers eventually showing up. In addition, members of the Red Cross arrived to help any firefighters in need of medical care.
Currently, it is not known what caused the fire, but an investigation is underway. Fortunately, no lives were lost, and we can thank the firefighters for risking their lives to put out such a dangerous fire. This is just one of the many examples across the country of the dangers present in factories like this one. While we don’t know how the fire started yet, properly maintaining equipment and reviewing fire safety protocols with workers can reduce the chances of these types of incidents.
At Agosti & Associates we provide consulting and expert witness services in the areas of Fire/Explosion Investigations; Fire and Building Codes; and Fire Department Operations and Procedures.
Source: http://wncn.com/2015/06/24/75-firefighters-battle-massive-nc-blaze/
