Compressor motor started fire

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This article was published 26/01/2012 (5228 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Switch off and unplug appliances and machinery when they’re not in use, a fire official advises, as a faulty air compressor motor is blamed for the Sturgeon Tire fire that caused more than $1 million in damage.

The discovery of the fire’s source has prompted fire officials to issue a warning about the use of electrical appliances and machinery, especially air compressors.

“I know out in the farming community where I come from, pretty much everybody has an air compressor,” Brandon Fire and Emergency Services investigator Richard McCurry said. “Unless you’re using it, turn it off.”

Flames and smoke spewed out of the Sturgeon Tire building at the corner of First Street and Pacific Avenue on Monday evening.

The building, and the attached office of Pyramid Steel Construction, was destroyed.

The compressor was stored in a service room in the south side of the building.

McCurry, who was the lead investigator for the inferno, said it appears the power to the air compressor was on at the time the fire began. A bearing inside the machine’s electrical motor failed due to age or use. That, in turn, caused wires to overheat and the machine to spark.

McCurry said inspectors pay regular visits to tire suppliers and Sturgeon Tire had a good track record for maintenance and safety.

Employees had left the business for the day when the fire started, and there were no injuries. Three employees in the Pyramid Steel Construction office escaped unharmed.

The damage is estimated at more than $1 million, but McCurry said insurance should cover the loss. The insurance company has already secured a contractor to handle the cleanup.

The southbound lane of First Street beside the site and the eastbound lane of Pacific Avenue were expected to re-open Wednesday afternoon once the property was fenced off.

Manitoba Conservation has tested air samples and there were no air quality issues. It has also taken water samples from the site for analysis. The department didn’t provide any results from water samples but noted that, in general, runoff from a building fire wouldn’t enter an underground stream while the frozen ground would prevent water from seeping into any nearby underground streams.

The fire was investigated by the Brandon fire department, the Office of the Fire Commissioner and city police.

With the cause of the fire found, arson has been ruled out and it isn’t considered suspicious.

Fire officials just have the following tips to prevent other similar fires.

“As a general rule, we’ve had a lot of fires related to poor use of electricity,” McCurry noted. “Some people might say it’s an electrical fire — no, no, no, it’s poor use of electricity that caused the electrical fire.”

Residents should unplug their major appliances when they’re not in use, even if it’s something as simple as a coffee maker. They should also avoid using extension cords, McCurry said.

Electrical machinery should be shut off too when work is done, and should be properly maintained.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com