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We've had our excitement for the week. The service dept of a large and old established Ford dealership went up this afternoon. No official reason given yet as firemen still haven't gotten inside the building but newscast said they were working on a car which caught fire in one of the service bays. The pict is from a TV newscast and camera is about 2 blocks away.


Update. Service dept and cars inside a total loss. Saved other cars near the building and a few tools. They had a car on a lift & were draining gas from a fuel tank to change the pump. It splashed on floor and caught fire. Flames went up and caught car on fire and tank exploded.
MORAL: Be extra careful when messing with or draining fuel tanks on our Packards.

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How to change a fire extinguisher into a flamethrower

Howard, when I was an apprentice one of the welders inadvertently threw a consumed but still glowing welding electrode in a brimful bucket of cleaner's naphtha. The bucket was made of orange plastic and contrary to regulations its surface was uncovered. The highly flammable white gas instantly catched fire and the column of fire soared up 15 ft. I stood next to the bucket between two cars, a pile of tires and ... an old fire extinguisher. Bounded by the bucket the fire was under control but the top edge of the bucket melted and the foaming gas threatened to gush out. The blaze and the imminence gave me a nasty shock, for one moment I was paralyzed but a split second later I grasped what I have deemed for a foam or CO2 extinguisher and shot ... a high-pressure water jet of the usual extinguisher into the boiling bucket!
Dear audience! If you plan a self-immolation I suggest to take into consideration the occurring effect when transforming a bucket of burning naphtha into a spray. Wow! For one moment the world was a sea of flames. Both cars, the mentioned tires, me, the air and the cantilever roof beams 40 ft above me were completely enveloped in flames. But after the formidable wave of heat the inferno disappeared as soon as it came. The first thing I saw after the flash was the empty and clean orange bucket. Everything was covered in thin soot and a couple of little pockets of flames here and there. A few moments later the helpers came in flocks but the purgatorial fire was vanished.

As a punishment I was stationed as a fire sentry all night - the apprentice and not the causing welder!
MORAL: Be extra careful if you are an apprentice.

MORAL: Be extra careful if you are an apprentice.

I think the old military saying is "Rank has it's privilege". Things may have changed a little in modern times but believe about the only things that are still less in rank than an apprentice would be a private and a cockroach.

The welder was probably a good union tradeperson so sure he was above blame but would have at least thought the boss would get called on the carpet for an improper bucket and fire extinguisher--but guess that only happens here in California with CAL/OSHA.

Update 2 on fire: Preliminary estimates: $1.5 million loss to shop building, 16 customer cars totally destroyed, several more parked nearby with heat damage. I think most mechanics own their own tools so that could also be costly to someone. Dealership said they will compensate owners but I expect some will still come out on the short end.

Cause is still draining gas from tank to change pump but the latest kicker is apparently the battery was not disconnected and during draining and tank removal, pump or other wiring shorted and ignited gas vapor.

IIRC there were some wild winds out there in Cali about a week ago. Any damage in your area????

There was a pretty good storm. We're about the middle of the state and didn't get the worst of it. I was OK but neighbor had some damage. That smaller part of storm we got caused numerous trees and fences down, some other scattered property & roof damage. Power lines went down in several sections of the city and quite a few didn't have it restored for a day or two. Southern Calif areas were much worse off.