Feb. 18--The tall flames and black smoke coming from a Downtown Bryan resale shop Thursday night were scary sights for nearby business owners.
They were not, however, unfamiliar sights. About a year earlier, Court's Saddlery, a decades-old family business, burned to the ground about two blocks north.
The two blazes were among the largest to hit Bryan in recent months. Acting Fire Chief Randy McGregor said Friday that they aren't a sign of any increased danger in Downtown Bryan, but they do show how the area poses a unique challenge for firefighters.
Downtown is one of the most dense areas of the city, meaning firefighters have to work harder to keep a blaze from spreading to neighboring buildings. Three adjoining buildings suffered light smoke and water damage Thursday night. None burned, however, McGregor said.
The age of the buildings are also a concern, McGregor said. Most of the structures in downtown were built before Bryan had strict fire codes and are therefore not required to have alarms or sprinklers unless they undergo major renovation.
McGregor said the building that burned Thursday didn't appear to have those protections, allowing the blaze to burn a "huge hole in the ceiling."
"The age of the buildings are also a concern because of the possibility of collapse," McGregor said.
On Thursday, the unnamed resale shop had a large part of its roof cave in, he said. The Court's Saddlery building also collapsed when it burned last year.
But, McGregor said, old age doesn't necessarily make a building more dangerous.
"Everybody is different," he said. "You could have a building that is two years old and, depending on the housekeeping practice, it could be more dangerous."
Copyright 2012 - The Eagle, Bryan, Texas
