Structural Collapse Type III Vacant
By Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on Jan 11, 2011 with Comments 0
Something exploded in this vacant building as firefighters battled a fire Monday night in Cairo, Illinois.
A photographer for television station KFVS was rolling when the blast occurred and also caught the collapse a short time later..
The local fire chief says the fire started when four men were inside the building, looking for things to steal.
The fire chief says the blaze probably started when the men were cutting metal with torches.
No one was injured.
Police: Cairo fire accidental, not related to past arsons: Here’s more from KFVS-TV:
Tuesday morning Cairo Police Chief Gary Hankins said the fire at 8th and Commercial Monday night was not arson. According to the chief, the fire started when four men were in the vacant building stealing things. Chief Hankins says a two pickup trucks were found behind the building with material from inside. The trucks belonged to two of the men. At one point something in the fourth floor appeared to explode, followed by the collapse of at least half the building.
Filed Under: Anatomy of Buildings • The Collapse Zone
