On The Job - New York:

Jay K. Bradish reports on a blaze in a manufacturing building that required the response of 36 fire departments.

On Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, the Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company in Broadalbin, NY, responded to one of the largest fires in its 130-year history. The fire in the manufacturing building at Fiber Conversion Inc. eventually required the response of 275 firefighters from 36 fire departments in five central New York counties. The facility was comprised of seven buildings, but firefighters succeeded in holding the fire to the building of origin.

Fiber Conversion, which began operation in 1909, recycles waste textile and fiber materials into bales of fiber that is used to make automotive insulation, carpet underlayment and furniture padding. Raw materials and finished product are packaged in bales weighing up to 800 pounds each. At the time of the fire, the plant contained approximately one million pounds of product. The building, known as Building 7, was constructed in 1992 of steel with a rubber roof covering an area of 200 by 300 feet. The building was equipped with a sprinkler system and hydrants were located at each corner building.

The Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company was dispatched to a reported structure fire in Building 7 at 15 East Elm St. in the village of Broadalbin at 2:57 P.M. The first-alarm response included Engine 211 and 212, both 1,250-gpm pumpers; Tanker 221, an 1,800-gallon tanker with a 450-gpm pump; Mini-Pumper 231; and Water Source Truck 242 with eight firefighters under the command of First Assistant Chief Scot Hall. At the time of the dispatch, heavy black smoke was already visible a mile away.

Upon arrival of the first units, fire was breaking through the roof of the northeast corner of the building. Hall immediately checked the evacuation status with company officials and learned that all of the employees were evacuated and accounted for. Hall's initial size-up of the fire building and exposures showed Building 6 connected to the fire building and a 10,000-gallon fuel tank between the two buildings.

No interior operations were permitted due to the large amount of fire, heavy smoke, danger of building collapse, and the fact that there was no life-safety issue. Defensive operations were begun immediately with mutual-aid requests for aerial apparatus from the Hagaman, Johnstown and Perth fire departments, along with tankers from several other departments. Hall established a command post at the northeast corner of the fire building. Mini-Pumper 231 initially went around north side of Building 6 (exposure) for size-up and advised this unit would not be used and returned to stage near the command post. Engine 211 was positioned at the northeast corner of the warehouse and supplied with a 50-foot, four-inch line from a hydrant. Firefighters deployed a 200-foot, 1¾-inch attack line and a 150-foot 2½-inch attack line from this engine. Engine 212 initially responded to command post and then was assigned to the south side of the warehouse on State Route 29 and set up for operations. This engine was fed by a 100-foot, four-inch line from a hydrant. Crews placed two 200-foot, 1¾-inch attack lines and the deck gun into operation from this engine. Tanker 221 was assigned to set up its portable pond on Route 29 to provide an additional water supply to Engine 212. Water Supply Truck 242 was positioned on the South 2nd Avenue Bridge, 2,000 feet from the scene, and set up to draft from Kennyetto Creek. This water source would be used to fill tankers and to supply three large-diameter hoses that were laid later.

Aerial units were set up at the corners of the building. Hagaman Tower 9 was positioned at the northeast corner and supplied with a large-diameter line from the bridge. Perth Aerial 1261 was positioned at the southwest corner of the building and supplied by Perth Pumper 1211 drafting out of a portable pond. Johnstown Aerial 761 was positioned at the northwest corner and was supplied by Broadalbin Engine 212. This engine was taken off the hydrant system due to low water pressure and supplied by the tanker shuttle using two portable ponds. Later in the incident, this aerial was moved to the southeast corner of the building for fire suppression. During the next two hours, additional mutual aid was requested from 30 fire departments in five counties. Some departments were as far as 30 miles away. Seven water sources were established to supply three, 2,000-foot large-diameter hoselays and to fill the more than 30 tankers in the tanker shuttle.

In addition to Broadalbin Truck 242, Northville Engine 1012 drafted from the bridge to supply the three large-diameter lines to the fireground. Engines from Hagaman, Fort Johnson and Fort Hunter were used as relay pumpers in the 2,000-foot large-diameter hoselays. Drafting sites for the tanker shuttle were established at four locations. Cranesville Engine 211 established a drafting source on Jamie Lane 1½ miles from the scene; Ephrata Engine 411 was located at a water source two miles from the scene on Route 30; Perth Engine 1212 and Berkshire Engine 111 established drafting sites on Mill Street, a half-mile from the scene. A Rock City Falls engine-tanker set up on Mill Street, also a half-mile from the fire.

On-scene mutual aid departments from Fulton County included Berkshire, Ephrata, Mayfield, Northville, Perth, Rockwood-Garoga-Lassellsville and Sammonsville. Montgomery County units responded from Cranesville, Town of Florida, Fort Johnson, Fort Hunter, Fultonville, Glen, Hagaman, Town of Mohawk and Tribes Hill. Saratoga County departments responding included Ballston Spa-Eagle Matt Lee Rescue Company, Corinth, Edinburgh, Galway, Harmony Corners, Maple Avenue, Middle Grove, Providence, Rock City Falls, West Charlton and Wilton. Mariaville responded from Schenectady County with fire police and Hope brought a 3,000-gallon tanker from Hamilton County. Several county fire coordinators from the involved counties also responded.

"Surround-and-drown" operations continued until Broadalbin Fire Chief Archie Rose declared the fire under control at 2 A.M., Friday, Feb. 1. Mutual aid units were released by 3 A.M. and Broadalbin Kennyetto units left the scene at 3:30. The Broadalbin Volunteer Ambulance Corps was on scene for standby and rehab throughout the operation. Firefighters laid 4,000 feet of five-inch supply line and 2,000 feet of four-inch hose to provide an adequate water supply to the fireground. Four on-site hydrants, six drafting locations and 30 tankers supplied water for firefighting operations. During the next week, Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company responded to seven rekindles.

A two-day investigation was led by investigators from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control with assistance from the Fulton County Fire Coordinators Office and Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company. Due to the extreme level of fire destruction and the work of the excavation equipment during overhaul operations, the investigation consisted mainly of interviews. The cause of the fire was officially listed as accidental-undetermined. Damage was estimated at $10 million. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were 30 degrees with no wind into the low 20s after the sun went down.

On Sunday, Feb. 10, a critique was held at Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company for all agencies involved in the incident. The biggest problem identified was the water supply. The municipal hydrant system was quickly overwhelmed and alternate water sources should have been established much sooner. Additional alternative water sources and different supply hose routing was discussed. The high flammability and heavy fire load quickly overwhelmed available resources. Metal construction made access to the seat of the fire impossible, excavation equipment was eventually called in to assist firefighting operations after the building roof and walls collapsed. Fire police reported several traffic-control problems, including bridges blocked at water supply points and numerous other traffic flow concerns. Ideas for alternate traffic patterns were presented.

Numerous successes were identified: The fire was held to building of origin, even with the close exposures. During this incident with over 275 personnel, freezing weather conditions, numerous hoselines and over 30 tankers in operation, there were no injuries and only one piece of equipment was lost - a broken pike pole. The members of Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company tour the Fiber Conversion facility annually.

A basic pre-plan and familiarity with the facility made a huge difference in the outcome of this incident. These annual tours will continue and a much more complete pre-plan will be developed in the future, including fire attack, water supply, fire police and county resources. Fuel trucks arrived from the Fulton County Department of Public Works and the Broadalbin-Perth School District to refuel units on scene. Local DPW crews also kept the roads salted and passable as temperatures dipped below freezing after sundown.

Units from Five Counties Respond to Fire in Broadalbin Fiber Facility