A downtown commercial building fire that was contained quickly after being reported offers important fire-safety lessons.
Oily rags not being disposed of properly caused the Jasper Fire Department to respond to a business fire last week.
On Thursday, November 20, at around 7:30 a.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received a report of ringing fire alarms and the smell of smoke coming from the Famoso Pizzeria building at 607 Patricia St. The report was from staff at the building’s co-tenant, Andromeda Coffee.
“For a moment, our hearts were in our throats as we waited to learn the extent of the damage,” Andromeda staff wrote on social media.
Jasper Fire Department’s Cpt. Kelly Dawson raced over in her command truck ahead of two crews on fire trucks. Dawson said building owner Sam Koebel unlocked the building but Dawson waited until her support teams arrived before opening the door.
“I could see smoke through the windows and could smell smoke,” Dawson said.
When trucks arrived, Dawson sent in an attack team of three members who entered the building with a hydrant-attached hose. The smoke, they discovered, was coming not from Famoso’s famously hot clay bell oven, but from a pile of materials in the middle of the room. The conclusion that Dawson and her colleagues came to was the fire started by an all-too common, if misunderstood phenomenon: spontaneous combustion of oily rags.
“It’s actually a lot more common than people think,” Dawson said.
(The February 15, 2024 fire that damaged the Adriano laundromat was believed to have started similarly).
Famoso is undergoing renovations. According to Dawson, rags soaked in wood stain had been disposed of in a garbage bag, then sealed. The rags can build up heat as they dry. If the heat can’t escape, the rags will reach a temperature where they’re able to ignite on their own..
“You don’t need flame or a spark,” Dawson said.
It’s an important public safety reminder about proper disposal of oily rags. Lay them flat to dry outside, Dawson said, or store them in a metal, air-tight container.
The Captain of Training and Development said that the call went as well as could be expected.
“Obviously they’re really lucky this bag wasn’t next to anything, it happened to be in the middle of the floor.”
Andromeda staff were grateful for the department’s response.
“Thanks to the quick response and steady professionalism of the Jasper Fire Department today turned into a very lucky day,” they wrote. “We’re incredibly grateful for their skill, calm, and kindness.”
“It was the best-case scenario all-round,” Dawson agreed.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
