Gerbers fire ‘pretty much out;’ crews still watchful
Traci Rosenbaum, trosenbaum@greatfallstribune.com 5:27 p.m. MDT August 15, 2016
(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/TRACI ROSENBAUM)
The fire that blazed for more than three hours Sunday at Gerbers of Montana’s machine and fabrication building is considered under control, according to Chief Steve Hester of Great Falls Fire/Rescue.
“I think the fire is pretty much out,” Hester said. “We’re trying to keep an eye on it, though, because some of that stuff is pretty insidious.”
As of 5 p.m. Monday, the remaining fire crew hadn’t put any water on the building for the last 5 to 6 hours, but Hester said all it takes is a hot ember inside a wall to start things up again. A crew was stationed at the building all day Monday and planned to stay there until at least late Monday evening, when GFFR would reassess the situation.
“If nothing happens by then, we’ll probably turn it back over to the owners and just do regular checks on it just to make sure,” Hester said.
Hester had been in contact with the business’ owner, who was not available for comment Monday, to “start the whole process of making that facility secure.”
According to Hester, that process includes getting an insurance adjuster on site and making the building safe for the community. After that, cleanup and remediation can begin, along with the filing of insurance claims to try to get things back to normal.
“We don’t want anybody to mess with it until the adjusters get there and look at it,” Hester said. “It’s up to the insurance company once we turn it back over to the private party.”
Gerbers of Montana, which provides sales and repair of a variety of agricultural, automotive, oil and gas field and commercial kitchen equipment, is currently open for business, but Hester emphasized that the area around the burned building could still be unsafe.
“The most important part just to stay out of that area right now,” he said. “We still have people curious who want to take a look, but I would stay out of there just until we’re sure.”
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Fire destroys Gerbers of Montana building
Traci Rosenbaum, trosenbaum@greatfallstribune.com 3:51 p.m. MDT August 15, 2016
(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/TRACI ROSENBAUM)
A fire started at 4:11 p.m. and burned steadily most of the evening at Gerbers of Montana Machine and Fabrication in downtown Great Falls on Sunday.
The fire started when sparks from an employee’s grinder ignited the fuel line of the truck he was working on, fire officials said. The man tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but when the blaze spread to the building, he immediately called 911.
"It's looking like it's going to have a substantial loss to it at this time," Battalion Chief Bob Shupe of Great Falls Fire/Rescue said.
The building’s roof burned through very quickly, making the fire too dangerous to fight from within the structure. Firefighters were also concerned about oxygen and acetylene tanks inside the building igniting and exploding, an event Shupe says he thinks they managed to prevent.
The fire was hot enough to twist metal supports inside the building, compromising its structure. Although the structure's exterior was brick and steel, the blaze continued as two-by-fours and insulation burned inside.
"That smoke is actually toxic,” Shupe said, “which is why we have police officers cordon people out of the area."
Crews battle fire in downtown Great Falls
Shawna Doney lives about a block away and was watching the fire from an alley.
"I didn't see it start," she said. "I was taking a nap, and my husband looked out the window."
From what they could see, they were concerned that someone in the neighborhood had a fire. Doney's was the only apartment in her complex hit by last week's flood, and now having this fire so close had her watchful.
"It's very unnerving," she said.
This was a three alarm fire, which Shupe said happens in Great Falls at most once a year. Rural fire crews were east of town fighting a fast-moving grass fire, but crews from the Montana Air National Guard assisted.
"We were grateful to MANG,” Shupe said. “They've had a significant impact since they've been here (at the fire), so we're glad to have our brothers from MANG."
(Photo: Tribune photo/Traci Rosenbaum)
The Salvation Army also had a food truck set up to feed the fire crews, and some community members brought down some pizza. There were seven trucks on scene fighting the fire, including the fire department's Tower Two truck dumping water on the building’s roof.
By 7:30, trucks had stopped their heaviest hoses and the fire was mostly under control, but Shupe says crews would probably be on scene through the night to put out hidden pockets of fire and douse hot spots.
Gerbers shop manager Barry Garber said the company had planned to use the building for its new fabrication shop, but it had not yet fully moved in. However, it did have a new half-million dollar piece of equipment inside, which was lost in the fire.
"They were coming from New York to hook it up tomorrow," Garber said.
The owner of Gerber’s is local, according to Garber, and he is on his way back to Great Falls from his honeymoon to assess the damage.
Because the building was not completely in use yet, Garber said the business will not close due to the fire.
"We still have our old facility,” he said, “so tomorrow will be business as usual."