Downtown Fire Hazard

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Story Published: Dec 3, 2007 at 7:27 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 12:15 PM MST

By Danielle Leigh

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This morning's close call at Chesbro in downtown Idaho Falls is giving firefighters a chance to discuss what to do, if serious fires ever do erupt.

Attached businesses without sprinkler systems create the perfect scenario for a quick spreading fire.

When fire fighters responded to small flames at Chesbro in downtown Idaho Falls just after nine this morning, one thing was clear, the close call could easily have been disastrous.

But the incident also gave fire fighters a great opportunity to discuss how to approach a fire downtown.

"We talked about what if it would have been on fire and we couldn't have sent anybody in. We could have, if had been just the Chesbro building, we could have got on the roof of the building that bordered it on the west side cut a trench in the roof from front to back and sprayed water down inside there to keep it from progressing into the next building," says Fire Chief Dean Ellis.

A lack of sprinkler systems and the fact that the buildings are so close and often connected is what makes fighting downtown fires so difficult.

"If the fire gets started and the building is not sprinklered we could lose a whole building or portions of a whole block," says Ellis.

Down towns nationwide are facing similar realities. They were built long before fire codes required safety precautions like sprinkler systems and multiple emergency exits.

"Some cities I'm sure have passed ordinances that all old buildings have to be updated if someone moves out. We haven't decided to go that way. It's a big cost item," says Ellis.

Instead fire officials are hoping downtown businesses will install the sprinklers for their own safety and create detailed evacuation plans for their employees.

The fire department is also upgrading its downtown fire station, and hopes to one day have their largest fire engine which has a 150 foot latter stored at the downtown station.

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