NFPA Journal - November/December 2017 - 97

C), winds were 12 to 14 mph (19 to 23 kph) with
gusts of 19 to 24 mph (31 to 39 kph), and the
relative humidity dropped from 30 percent to 18
percent. By the time the fire was contained, it
had charred nearly 4,000 acres (1,619 hectares)
and destroyed 300 structures, damaging 28
others.

Where the fires occurred and how
Of the 25 large-loss fires in 2016, 22 involved
structures and resulted in a total property loss of
$348.6 million, or 24.1 percent of the combined
losses for all large-loss fires. The other fires
included the two WUI fires and one vehicle fire
(a towboat) that resulted in combined losses of
$1.1 billion, or 75.9 percent of the losses in all the
large-loss fires.
Six fires each broke out in storage properties and
special properties. Of those, four were warehouses
(one containing textiles, one with store merchandise, one with miscellaneous equipment, and one
with unreported contents), one was a pallet storage yard, and one was a mini-storage facility. The
combined losses in storage properties was $115.5
million. In special properties, four fires occurred in
structures that were under construction, including
three apartment buildings and a hotel, and two
occurred in properties that were under renovation,

There was no smoke detection
equipment present. There was a
partial-coverage wet pipe suppression system present. The
installation was not complete and
the system did not operate.
Fire Development
An incendiary fire was set on the
first floor in paper and cardboard
in a structure of open-frame
construction.
Contributing Factors and Details
The fire rapidly spread throughout
the open construction until it
involved an additional five structures of various heights, sizes, and
stages of construction.
MANUFACTURING
Mississippi
Month, Time of Alarm, Dollar Loss
June, 9:48 p.m., $17.6 million
Property Characteristics and
Operating Status
This was a one-story, 250,000square-foot (23,226-square-meter)
custom vehicle wheel manufacturing plant of unprotected
noncombustible construction and
was in full operation.
Fire Protection Systems
There was no automatic detection or suppression equipment
present.
Fire Development
A bearing failure in a high-RPM
motor overheated the motor,
igniting oil that then blew into the
production area, spreading fire.

Contributing Factors and Details
The loss was listed as $3.6 million
to the structure and $14 million
to the contents, which were custom-made wheels.
Texas
Month, Time of Alarm, Dollar Loss
December, 6:38 p.m., $10 million
Property Characteristics and
Operating Status
This was a one-story recycling
facility. The ground-floor area
and operating status were not
reported.
Fire Protection Systems
It was not reported if a smoke
detection system was present.
There was a dry pipe sprinkler
system in the structure, but it had
been shut down prior to the fire
and did not operate.
Fire Development
The fire began in the shipping/
receiving area in rubbish and
trash. No further information was
reported.
Contributing Factors and Details
The damage was listed as $3 million to the structure and $7 million
to the contents.
Texas
Month, Time of Alarm, Dollar Loss
April 8, 10:06 a.m., $15 million
Property Characteristics and
Operating Status
This was a chemical manufacturing plant that was in operation. No

BLAST AFTERMATH
Oregon firefighters search through rubble of an
office building destroyed by a natural gas explosion. Three firefighters and five civilians were
injured in the blast, which resulted in more than $17
million in property damage. Photo: AP/Wide World

N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2017