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60 crew members battled inferno

Dayton fire chief says fighting the junkyard blaze was a costly operation for city.

Ty Greenlees/Staff Photographer Franklin Iron stores cars and auto parts, like these catalytic converters. File photo

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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 5:58 AM Friday, May 21, 2010

DAYTON — For five hours, Dayton fire staff split responsibilities between battling flames at Franklin Iron & Metal while also responding to other emergencies in the city. They worked as much of Dayton slept.

As the span of the fire widened at the scrapyard on East First Street, Fire Chief Herbert Redden made the decision around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 20, to call for mutual aid. He “borrowed” a fire truck and a medic unit from Huber Heights and Kettering to staff Dayton fire stations. Fifteen minutes later, he asked for an additional engine.

“We needed time to get off-duty personnel in on overtime,” Redden said. “As soon as our people got in, we cut (Huber Heights and Kettering) loose.”

Up to 60 Dayton fire personnel, including 40 firefighters, worked the blaze. Staff from the city’s police, water, sewer and public works departments also were on scene.

“It’s a costly operation,” Redden said.

Thursday evening, Redden said there was no cost estimate yet but that the city plans to try to recoup the expenses from the company.

“I won’t feel comfortable, I won’t stop worrying until the fire is out,” City Manager Tim Riordan said Thursday evening. “Our crews were out there doing their jobs and getting the job done.”

The fire department’s attack plan: use water and lots of it. Low water pressure created problems early on.

Joe Johnson, Dayton’s operations coordinator for water distribution, said his department met with fire officials around 7 a.m. to identify hydrants and to arrange for the opening of an additional pump at the Ottawa Street Yard to increase water volume and pressure to the area.

Johnson said residents and businesses in the area might have experienced decreased water pressure as a result of that action.

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Emergency Management Authority and Public Health of Dayton and Montgomery County also were on the scene as concern rose over possible toxicity of the giant clouds of smoke wafting from the fire.

The EPA began testing air quality, and at 9:24 a.m., fire officials issued an advisory for area residents and workers to remain indoors as a precautionary measure.

Before noon, foam trucks from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Dayton International Airport were en route to the scene.

“I wanted it on the way,” Redden said.

“Once you start using foam you need a continuous supply to be effective.”

WPAFB brought in a crew of 20 and 3,000 gallons of foam.

As the afternoon deepened, Redden said flames had shifted to a horizontal flow at the fire’s base instead of shooting into the air.

Smoke clouds hovered just behind Redden during a 2 p.m. press conference. The black smoke came from burning tires.

Gray smoke emanated from the fire suppression foam.

Around 4:30 p.m., 16 hours after the initial 911 call, the fire department canceled the advisory for people to stay indoors and announced that analysis of the smoke did not indicate hazardous contaminants.

Air quality control tests were expected to continue through the night.

By the numbers

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