Lightening Strike destroys business

[Emtmom]

This was the only newspaper article at this time:
Stafford Springs Building Destroyed By Fire
10:59 AM EDT, September 10, 2006
News Channel 8
A cabinet shop in West Stafford was destroyed by fire.

The shop is near the Tyco plant. Officials say the fire was contained to the 6,000 square foot building. It is a total loss.

The blaze did force part of Route 32 to close for several hours.

No injuries have been reported.


THE WEST STAFFORD FIRE DEPTARTMENT
WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS
FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AT THE STRUCTURE FIRE
SEPTEMBER 9, 2006.
STAFFORDVILLE, WILLINGTON, WILLINGTON HILL,
CRYSTAL LAKE, UNION, TOLLAND, ELLINGTON, SOMERS,
AND MONSON MASS.
ALSO THANK YOU TO BIG Y SUPERMARKET FOR YOUR
DONATION OF WATER, GATOR AID AND CUPS.
TO JEN AT SUBWAY FOR MAKING US 50 GRINDERS
5 MINUTES BEFORE YOU WERE TO CLOSE YOUR DOORS.
THEDA, SUE P. AND MAGGIE OF THE LADIES AUX. FOR
BEING THERE WITH REFRESHMENTS!

For more photos check our site!
http://wsfd44.org/v-web/gallery/Jobs?page=3

[Emtmom]

a couple more pics!

[Flashover21]

10 departments for basically a trailer that was on fire, isnt that a little ridiculous! no building next it caught on fire 2 hours later did it?

[Emtmom]

I would hardly call 6000 sq. feet a trailer!

09/11/2006
No one hurt as fire possibly caused by lightning destroys Stafford business
By:Mark D. Simpson , Journal Inquirer

STAFFORD - A local woodworking and cabinet-making business on Tyco Drive was destroyed Saturday evening after a fire that may have been started by lightning, fire officials said today.

West Stafford Fire Chief Joseph Lorenzetti said today that only portions of an office area and a front wall area at the Luchon Cabinet & Woodworks at 28 Tyco Drive remained standing after the blaze. The rest of the building was reduced to rubble, he said.


The single-story wood frame building, which was about 6,000 square feet, was unoccupied at the time of the blaze, fire officials said.

Fire Marshal Thomas Finch said today that the building sustained hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
There were no fire hydrants in the area of business, which caused firefighters to have to bring in water from a couple of miles away, Finch said. But he added that having hydrants in close proximity to the business wouldn't have made a difference in this case because the fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived.

Luchon Cabinet & Woodworks had been in business for 15 years prior, the business's Web site states. Local resident Jeff Luchon owns the business but couldn't be reached for comment this morning.

First Selectman Allen Bacchiochi said today that he has spoken to a relative of Luchon's, who said Luchon will now be working out of his brother-in-law's business at Rockwell Millwork & Sales at 31 Wales Road.
"There's nothing left whatsoever," said Bacchiochi, who has seen the rubble that was once Luchon's business. "There wasn't one two-by-four that could be saved in the whole place."

Lorenzetti said that while it is still unclear how the fire started at the business, lightning could have been a factor since serious weather was moving through the area about that time.
He said firefighters received a call at 7:24 p.m. after a citizen reported smoke coming from the building. When firefighters arrived they found heavy fire at the rear of the building, Lorenzetti said.

"It was a defensive operation from the start," he said.
Finch said he was unsure how long the building had been burning but that the fire "had a pretty good start" before firefighters arrived.
It wasn't until about 9:20 p.m. when the fire was brought under control, Finch said.
The last of the firefighters didn't leave the scene until about 1 a.m.

Even though the building was in an industrial park, the fire didn't spread to any other businesses, Lorenzetti said.
Finch planned to meet with an insurance investigator today to try to determine the cause of the fire. He said the insurance company would probably use a lightning-tracking program to help determine if a bolt of lightning caused the blaze.

The firefighters got help in fighting the blaze from fire departments from West Stafford, Staffordville, Somers, Willington, Crystal Lake, and Monson, Mass., Finch said.

[Odie23]

10 departments for basically a trailer that was on fire, isnt that a little ridiculous!

I wasn't there, so I can only go by what I read. So you have a 6000 sq ft cabnit shop without hydrants in the area, a water shuttle operation that covers a couple of miles, and an operation that last for about 5 and a half hours. I don't see the problem with having that many departments there. Could you explain a little more on what's wrong with having that many departments represented?

Mom, do you know the total number of FFs on scene?

Odie

[wsfd44]

Regarding the question (Read: "Shot") about the 10 departments, the majority of the mutual aid was for tankers to support the operation. These agencies sent a tanker with one or two members. The area in question has no water source, hence the need for tanker apparatus. The standard response for a working structure fire in that area is west Stafford, Staffordville and Willington. Thae balance of the assignments were either tanker or cover assignments.

[Emtmom]

I'm not sure Odie, I was hoping the chief would cover that in his post, but I think he missed the question.

[Flashover21]

ok that makes sense then......... gotta love hydrants!