Damage estimated at $40 million
When flames erupted at Echo Lake Foods, the egg processing plant in Burlington, there were no sprinklers to halt what would become a massive fire, causing some $40 million in damage and leaving almost 300 employees jobless.
The older parts of the building where the fire started weren't required to have sprinklers and the building did not violate any codes, Burlington Fire Chief Richard Lodle said. The newer parts of the factory had sprinklers.
A new fire inspection report said the fire caused $30 million in damage to the $40 million property, and another $10 million in losses to the building's contents, which were valued at $15 million. The report also said 5 million gallons of water were required to put out the eight-alarm fire that started Jan. 30 and burned overnight.
Robert Solomon, division manager for engineering at the National Fire Protection Association, said building codes required automatic sprinklers for factories and warehouses starting in the late 1800s, but more advanced construction and noncombustible building materials superseded them in the 1920s and 1930s. In later decades, in some cases into the 1970s, Solomon said, codes shifted back to requiring sprinklers, since contents would still burn even if the structures did not. With few exceptions, sprinklers are required in industrial-use buildings today, Solomon said.
"In the ideal world, the NFPA would like to see automatic sprinklers in every building, in new ones as well as in existing stock," Solomon said.
Older buildings often aren't required to be retrofitted with sprinkler systems because of the cost, Solomon said. Retrofitting can cost $8 to $12 a square foot and cause operations to close during the work, affecting productivity.
When Echo Lake Foods rebuilds, it will be required to have sprinklers throughout the building, said Megan Watkins, a spokeswoman for the City of Burlington.
Jerry Warntjes, general manager of Echo Lake Foods, said the company doesn't know how it will approach reconstruction yet. Echo Lake Foods, the fourth largest employer in the town, previously announced it would rebuild in its present location.
"We are grateful most of our employees have found work with us or other local employers," he said.
Love Inc., a Burlington charity helping Echo Lake employees, is still helping 55 families with food and rent, Executive Director Bill Schoessling said.
"Folks are hanging in there and taking up jobs here and there," Schoessling said. "We're doing OK and looking to April."
Schoessling said the charity has spent around $30,000 above normal costs for the extra food and for March rent.
