On Monday morning, September 2, Plant City residents were greeted by smoke billowing into the sky. So much smoke flowed hundreds of feet into the air, that, from three miles away, it looked like just a cloud.
According to Timothy Mossgrove, Plant City Fire Rescue Deputy Chief of Administration, a page came in at 7:54 a.m. that a fire had been reported. In an impressive response time, firefighters arrived at the scene on the 300 block of East Tomlin at 7:58 a.m—only four minutes later. When Fire and Rescue reached the scene, they found a 100-foot long, 25-foot wide, steel structure spewing flames and smoke. All four corners of the building and the attic were burning. Mossgrove characterized the blaze to be a “heavy fire.” It required a full structural response, so the department routed one ladder truck, two fire engines, three rescue trucks, one Batallion Chief truck, and 19 firefighters and support staff. The response came from Shift C, and Station 3, Station 2, and Station 1.
The fire vented through the roof. It is a good thing Fire Rescue had the ladder truck on scene, because then they used it to create an elevated stream to suppress the fire from above. Parts of the roof melted, and it eventually collapsed, making it unsafe for any firefighters to enter the structure. Since the fire had spread throughout the building, it took Fire Rescue 40 minutes before the fire was “knocked down”—a term firefighters use to mean a building is clear of fire. This is a term equivalent to “all clear” or “fire under control.” After the fire was knocked down, the firefighters concentrated on hot spots—hosing down any areas that continued to smoke. The whole process of checking, hosing, and ensuring the fire was dead took an additional four hours.
The structure stands at a dead end of the street. There are houses adjacent on one side, and across the street. The building also sits two blocks from Jackson Elementary. Due to the speedy response of Fire Rescue, and their quick containment of the blaze, none of the nearby houses, nor the school were in danger. A camper sitting next to the structure was not damaged. No one was inside the building at the time of the blaze, and no firefighters were injured.
During a fire, Plant City Fire Rescue also sends support staff to the scene. So, that the firefighters can concentrate on the fire itself. The support staff handle things like phoning the Fire Marshall, logistics, keeping an eye on safety, making sure self-contained breathing tanks are re-filled after they are used, the rest of the breathing apparatus checks out and is ready for another call, and handling and keeping at a safe distance curious residents who come by.
A neighbor informed other neighbors who had left for work about the fire. One woman returned to check on property and vehicles. A man who lives across the street and works nights, slept straight through the whole event. When he woke up, he was quite surprised when he saw the destruction.
The investigation has been turned over to the State Fire Marshall, but it has not yet been completed.