Lightning Likely Caused Connecticut Bell Factory Fire
Source The Hartford Courant, Conn.
EAST HAMPTON, Conn. -- Fire investigators suspect a lightning strike caused the fire that destroyed the Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Co. factory Saturday night.
East Hampton Fire Marshal Rich Klotzbier said hours of investigation by him and the state fire marshal could not pinpoint an exact cause.
The determination "will be undetermined with a high probability of a lightning strike," Klotzbier said.
The fire was discovered at about 11:35 p.m. by a neighbor who was standing on his back deck. But Klotzbier said it is likely the fire was started hours earlier by a lightning strike from a powerful storm that moved through the area.
A lightning strike mapping program showed 292 lightning strikes within a five mile radius of the factory as the storm moved through, Klotzbier said.
FOX CT Chief Meteorologist Joe Furey said a storm moved through East Hampton between 4 and 5 p.m. Saturday that produced a lot of lightning.
"The core of that intense thunder storm cell went right over East Hampton between 4 and 5 with several hundred cloud to ground lightning strikes," Furey said.
Klotzbier said he was able to map the progression of the fire because he was among the first to arrive at the scene Saturday night. Determining a definitive cause, however, is not possible because of the damage.
"We would like to be able to say with 100 percent certainty that's what it was," he said.
He said investigators were able to pinpoint an area of the building where they think the fire began, then smoldered for hours until breaking through the roof. A 40-foot by 60-foot area of the building was heavily burning when firefighters arrived, and the fire quickly spread.
The investigation into the fire is closed and the building has been turned over to its owner. The local building inspector has condemned the building, although he determined the walls were stable.
Klotzbier said findings by state and federal environmental authorities that there are no environmental concerns are consistent with his findings.
Copyright 2012 - The Hartford Courant, Conn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
