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Office suffers smoke damage after dehumidifier catches fire

In the midst of emergencies, drivers crossing hoselines are causing trouble, fire chief says

A dehumidifier was the source of a fire that filled an office basement with heavy smoke Thursday morning, according to Fort Dodge Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter.

As firefighters responded to the flames, at least one car drove over the hose line running from the fire hydrant to the fire engine. This is the second time in a week one of the Fire Department’s lines has been run over.

Workers in the office smelled smoke and called 911 around 9:15 a.m. for the fire at 101 N. 27th St. The building houses Trevino Associates and Kirkberg Connections.

Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to keep the fire from spreading, Hergenreter said.

“We had a very fast response, and were able to get a hose line into the basement,” he said. “If this had happened in the middle of the night it would have been a much different outcome.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Police Lt. Dennis Quinn approaches a driver after this car went past the police cruiser blocking the intersection, and drove over the fire department’s hose line. Doing so is illegal, can damage the hose, and can cause damage to the pump or the water line. Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter asks drivers to please leave space for firefighters to work when they’re responding to an emergency.

“It appears the source of the fire was a dehumidifier,” Hergenreter said. “Fire damage was confined to that area, but there is heavy smoke damage in the basement, and moderate smoke damage throughout the building.”

Even after the fire was out, black smoke smelling of plastic could be seen pouring from the front door, and the chimney for some time.

Adding to the challenge, there are no windows in the basement, Hergenreter said. That means there was nowhere for the smoke to vent.

“You’re going down there with zero visibility, and you have all the heat and smoke coming up the stairs,” he said.

The Fire Department brought in large fans to help move the smoke out quicker.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Fort Dodge Firefighters deal with a fire in the basement of Trevino Associates Thursday morning. There are no windows in the basement, leading to difficulty in ventilating the smoke. The fire appeared to start with a dehumidifier, Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said, and crews managed to keep it from spreading. The building suffered significant smoke damage inside.

“It’s trapped down there. It just takes time,” Fire Department Capt. Steve Teske said.

As Fort Dodge police helped secure the scene, a car drove around one of the police vehicles blocking the road and over the heavy hose line.

This happened last Saturday as well, Hergenreter said, at a garage fire on South 18th Street.

“At the one before, one of the firefighters was holding the hose and it knocked her over,” Hergenreter said.

The fire hose is very expensive, around $1,000 for the one in use Thursday, and it can be damaged by a car driving over it, he said.

Plus, damage can result to the truck’s pump or to the water line if the change in pressure causes a “water hammer.”

“We ask people not to drive around the police cars. Just stay off the block,” Hergenreter said.

When firefighters are at a fire, “We’re sorry for the inconvenience, and we’ll have it out of the way as soon as we can,” Teske said.

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