A car guy's horror
Thread Starter
Oldsdruid
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,628
From: Southside Vajenya
A car guy's horror
Guess this is all of our worst nightmares. I've known Ray and Terry since 8th grade. Some of these vehicles had been in their families since new. He had just bought a 1966 427 Biscayne that he'd been after for years.
I told a friend Saturday night that was one of the wildest storms I'd ever seen as far as lightning.
http://www.sovanow.com/index.php?/ne...tage_vehicles/
I told a friend Saturday night that was one of the wildest storms I'd ever seen as far as lightning.
http://www.sovanow.com/index.php?/ne...tage_vehicles/
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 1,942
From: Pennsylvania
Banned
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 6,265
below, a firefighter douses the ruins of the razed garage. By Liza Fulton
News & Record
SoVaNow.com / July 19, 2021
A massive garage fire that started just before midnight Saturday and raged for some five hours in the Cluster Springs area destroyed around a dozen vintage vehicles and sent firefighters scrambling for water to douse the blaze.
Cluster Springs volunteers received the call at 11:30 p.m. of a fire near 1134 Newton Farm Road. When firefighters arrived, they found the garage of a home engulfed in flames. Clouds of smoke were visible high in the sky behind the home of Terry and Raymond Butler. It took over five hours and dozens of firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
“There was a whole lot of fuel loaded in the garage for the fire to feed on,” said Chris Hudson, chief of the Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department, which led the assault on the conflagration.
The sounds of exploding vehicles punctured the night air as the fire spread to fuel tanks. There were loud booms each time a tank exploded, setting off a chain reaction of other exploding tanks and vehicles. The classic cars, antique signs and other belongings inside the garage were incinerated as flames licked the tops of tall pine trees in the yard.
Hudson said all signs point to Saturday night’s dry lightning as the fire’s cause. Estimated damage to the garage, vehicles and other property totaled $800,000, he said.
The Butler home was spared, thanks to the diligent work of firefighters.
Shortly after reaching the scene at around 12:12 a.m., Hudson issued an “all-call” once the fire’s rapid spread became clear. With that order, any and all available tanker trucks and firefighters were dispatched to the scene. They immediately encountered a dilemma — firefighters needed water, and lots of it. The location of the Butler home was not accessible to nearby ponds.
Triple Springs VFD, based out of Roxboro, N.C., brought a tanker truck that could haul 1,800 gallons of water. Other trucks hauled about 1,000 gallons. The Triple Springs VFD drove its truck to Riverdale to fill up at the fire hydrant at the former Slagle Fire Equipment building on Route 58, several miles from Newton Farm Road.
A pond located closer to the fire was too far back from the road to serve as a water source.
“The turnaround was too tight at the pond for fire trucks,” said Hudson.
Tanker trucks sped into Riverdale to draw water from two fire hydrants — one located at Comfort Systems, the other at the old Slagle Fire Equipment building. At least nine tanker trucks ferried some 50,000 gallons of water to the scene, around a 1,000 gallons at a time.
Once there, trucks dumped water into a drop tank, resembling a swimming pool, then the water was sucked and pushed to the fire engine near the back of the house beside the red-hot glowing garage. One firefighter who was positioned on top of the truck doused the flames high above onto the garage roof, while others attacked from ground level.
“After the tin roof [of the garage] fell, we had to clear that and the garage doors out of the way to access the cars inside, along with stacked firewood that needed to be removed,” said Hudson.
A propane tank that exploded from the pressure injured one firefighter — the severity of the injuries is unknown — but no one else was harmed from the fire. Dominion Energy workers were called to disconnect the electricity to the garage and gas company sent a crew to disconnect the propane tank. The power breakers that ran electrical current from the house to the garage had already been flipped off.
Another sign of Saturday night’s lightning dangers surfaced hours earlier in the Cluster Springs area. The Cluster Springs VFD responded to a call around 5:45 p.m. at 2137 Old Cluster Springs Road in South Boston, where a trailer located behind the home was struck by lightning and caught on fire. No other information on that smaller fire was available at press time.
Firefighters remained on the scene at Newton Farm Road until 5 a.m. working to tamp out the fire at the Butler home. Tanker trucks and crews that assisted Cluster Springs VFD included: Triple Springs, Clarksville, Virgilina, Clover, Liberty, Scottsburg, Midway, Turbeville, South Boston and North Halifax.
News & Record
SoVaNow.com / July 19, 2021
A massive garage fire that started just before midnight Saturday and raged for some five hours in the Cluster Springs area destroyed around a dozen vintage vehicles and sent firefighters scrambling for water to douse the blaze.
Cluster Springs volunteers received the call at 11:30 p.m. of a fire near 1134 Newton Farm Road. When firefighters arrived, they found the garage of a home engulfed in flames. Clouds of smoke were visible high in the sky behind the home of Terry and Raymond Butler. It took over five hours and dozens of firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
“There was a whole lot of fuel loaded in the garage for the fire to feed on,” said Chris Hudson, chief of the Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department, which led the assault on the conflagration.
The sounds of exploding vehicles punctured the night air as the fire spread to fuel tanks. There were loud booms each time a tank exploded, setting off a chain reaction of other exploding tanks and vehicles. The classic cars, antique signs and other belongings inside the garage were incinerated as flames licked the tops of tall pine trees in the yard.
Hudson said all signs point to Saturday night’s dry lightning as the fire’s cause. Estimated damage to the garage, vehicles and other property totaled $800,000, he said.
The Butler home was spared, thanks to the diligent work of firefighters.
Shortly after reaching the scene at around 12:12 a.m., Hudson issued an “all-call” once the fire’s rapid spread became clear. With that order, any and all available tanker trucks and firefighters were dispatched to the scene. They immediately encountered a dilemma — firefighters needed water, and lots of it. The location of the Butler home was not accessible to nearby ponds.
Triple Springs VFD, based out of Roxboro, N.C., brought a tanker truck that could haul 1,800 gallons of water. Other trucks hauled about 1,000 gallons. The Triple Springs VFD drove its truck to Riverdale to fill up at the fire hydrant at the former Slagle Fire Equipment building on Route 58, several miles from Newton Farm Road.
A pond located closer to the fire was too far back from the road to serve as a water source.
“The turnaround was too tight at the pond for fire trucks,” said Hudson.
Tanker trucks sped into Riverdale to draw water from two fire hydrants — one located at Comfort Systems, the other at the old Slagle Fire Equipment building. At least nine tanker trucks ferried some 50,000 gallons of water to the scene, around a 1,000 gallons at a time.
Once there, trucks dumped water into a drop tank, resembling a swimming pool, then the water was sucked and pushed to the fire engine near the back of the house beside the red-hot glowing garage. One firefighter who was positioned on top of the truck doused the flames high above onto the garage roof, while others attacked from ground level.
“After the tin roof [of the garage] fell, we had to clear that and the garage doors out of the way to access the cars inside, along with stacked firewood that needed to be removed,” said Hudson.
A propane tank that exploded from the pressure injured one firefighter — the severity of the injuries is unknown — but no one else was harmed from the fire. Dominion Energy workers were called to disconnect the electricity to the garage and gas company sent a crew to disconnect the propane tank. The power breakers that ran electrical current from the house to the garage had already been flipped off.
Another sign of Saturday night’s lightning dangers surfaced hours earlier in the Cluster Springs area. The Cluster Springs VFD responded to a call around 5:45 p.m. at 2137 Old Cluster Springs Road in South Boston, where a trailer located behind the home was struck by lightning and caught on fire. No other information on that smaller fire was available at press time.
Firefighters remained on the scene at Newton Farm Road until 5 a.m. working to tamp out the fire at the Butler home. Tanker trucks and crews that assisted Cluster Springs VFD included: Triple Springs, Clarksville, Virgilina, Clover, Liberty, Scottsburg, Midway, Turbeville, South Boston and North Halifax.
Thread Starter
Oldsdruid
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,628
From: Southside Vajenya
Everything points to lightning. That storm boiled up out of the south which is generally a sign of a rough storm. Weather maps for north central NC showed dozens of lightning strikes in that area for several hours.
I had gone into town and ran into the rain on the way back. Usually a few miles and you run out of heavy rain. I drove 22 miles in it, 40mph and wipers on high.
If Ray is lucky, his insurance won't declare it an act of God and refuse to pay.
I had gone into town and ran into the rain on the way back. Usually a few miles and you run out of heavy rain. I drove 22 miles in it, 40mph and wipers on high.
If Ray is lucky, his insurance won't declare it an act of God and refuse to pay.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 522
From: Long Island, NY
A friend of mine lost a 70 442 to fire for a different reason, he saw it burn. This was 30 years ago, and I'm sure it bothers him to this day. It was his daily driver, didn't have it long, and was slowly fixing it up. Just replaced the AC compressor. All to watch it go up in flames.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,816
From: Laguna Vista, TX
That's a car collector's nightmare. Family cars from new, just can not be replaced with money. Feel bad for their loss.
I done a few remote barn fire sprinkler systems for horse farms. Losing your beloved horse. Is family, emotional, physical and financial investments. Cars are a little like that for me.
Fire sprinklers, wet or dry if no heat. With on average 2'' or possible smaller pipe. With good water pressure from municipality water supply. Or with water tank and small fire pump. With alarm notification. Would have save the cars or at least controlled the fire on till the fire department get there.
Now I want to add a internal system to my engine and over gas tank. Something from Summit like Lifeline Fire Zero 360 Replacement Bottles, their automatic nozzle work like fire sprinkler heads.
I done a few remote barn fire sprinkler systems for horse farms. Losing your beloved horse. Is family, emotional, physical and financial investments. Cars are a little like that for me.
Fire sprinklers, wet or dry if no heat. With on average 2'' or possible smaller pipe. With good water pressure from municipality water supply. Or with water tank and small fire pump. With alarm notification. Would have save the cars or at least controlled the fire on till the fire department get there.
Now I want to add a internal system to my engine and over gas tank. Something from Summit like Lifeline Fire Zero 360 Replacement Bottles, their automatic nozzle work like fire sprinkler heads.
Banned
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 6,265
Seriously. All you all need to prevent before it is s hindsight and all your toys are rubble.
Man I feel for your friend. Insurance companies screwing you after decades of payment? No way 🤮 They don't give an F about you when you sign. Make a claim? Ha Ha Ha Ha
Man I feel for your friend. Insurance companies screwing you after decades of payment? No way 🤮 They don't give an F about you when you sign. Make a claim? Ha Ha Ha Ha
Thread Starter
Oldsdruid
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,628
From: Southside Vajenya
Here's what was lost.
Terry's father's 1958 Chev Apache, bought new and she learned to drive on it
Her grandfather's 1952 Studebaker pickup
1955 BelAir 2d post, 1956 Chev 150 sedan delivery, 1956 BelAir 4d sedan (Ray's dad's first new car)
1969 Camaro (Terry's first car, bought 1974)
1997 Camaro that she bought new
1966 ElCamino
The 427 Biscayne
1970 C10 (Ray's first vehicle, bought 1973)
2005 SSR
1971 HD SuperGlide
A lot of automobilia and petroliana too, plus 2 tool chests and a lot of antique tools. Ray says the tools may be salvageable with cleaning once the adjuster comes and he can safely go in.
There but for grace go we all. It's made me decide to add two more extinguishers in mine for a total of 6. Not that they'd help with a lightning-sparked fire. The utter destruction I saw this morning literally made me sick to my stomach.
Terry's father's 1958 Chev Apache, bought new and she learned to drive on it
Her grandfather's 1952 Studebaker pickup
1955 BelAir 2d post, 1956 Chev 150 sedan delivery, 1956 BelAir 4d sedan (Ray's dad's first new car)
1969 Camaro (Terry's first car, bought 1974)
1997 Camaro that she bought new
1966 ElCamino
The 427 Biscayne
1970 C10 (Ray's first vehicle, bought 1973)
2005 SSR
1971 HD SuperGlide
A lot of automobilia and petroliana too, plus 2 tool chests and a lot of antique tools. Ray says the tools may be salvageable with cleaning once the adjuster comes and he can safely go in.
There but for grace go we all. It's made me decide to add two more extinguishers in mine for a total of 6. Not that they'd help with a lightning-sparked fire. The utter destruction I saw this morning literally made me sick to my stomach.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 141
From: Chicago, IL
My father lost a couple cars in a fire about 30 years ago when some adolescents set fire to the pole barn where they were stored. His cars & about 20 other classics were destroyed. He was overseas at the time, & I went to survey the scene & it wasn't pretty. Fire was so intense that the aluminum hoods & trunks melted & all that was left of the tires were the steel belts. Needless to say he wasn't very happy, although he did receive a favorable insurance settlement, it still doesn't bring back the cars & the memories associated with them. Those cars today are selling for 6 figures+.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,098
From: Utah
Speaking of which, if you have State Farm or Allstate, get rid of them and get a better insurance company. I was researching insurance companies and State Farm & Allstate are currently THE WORST insurance companies when it comes to getting paid out for homeowner claims. They will do everything they can NOT to pay out and will fight you all the way. If you are former or current military, I read USAA is top notch.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 12,798
From: Evansville, IN
USAA is not top notch. They are merely OK. I have insurance through them and I have chastised an agent for only giving money for an aftermarket bumper when I got hit. Being an engineer for the company that made the truck was not enough. I told him to kiss my *** and took the 80% of the cost of a new bumper.
Foremost is giving me the long dong on my grandma's wrecked house. They are budget Farmer's, and Farmer's sucks the long dong to the cadence of their we are farmers jingle. Insurance agents are above lawyers and reporters, but below cops and used car salesmen in terms of decency.
Foremost is giving me the long dong on my grandma's wrecked house. They are budget Farmer's, and Farmer's sucks the long dong to the cadence of their we are farmers jingle. Insurance agents are above lawyers and reporters, but below cops and used car salesmen in terms of decency.
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