INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — Indianapolis firefighters battling a commercial building fire on Friday had to stop and re-establish their water supply mid-operation after a semi truck driver pulled into the parking lot and drove over the supply line, bursting two sections of five-inch hose while crews were inside the burning structure.
IFD responded at 5:28 p.m. on July 31 to 333 South Franklin Road, a 368,000-square-foot building housing several businesses including a recycling company. Engine 42 arrived to find light smoke showing with heavy black smoke on the interior. Firefighters worked through maze-like zero-visibility conditions to locate the fire, which turned out to be inside a trash compactor on the northeast side of the building. Activated sprinklers helped limit extension to nearby combustibles. No occupants were inside and no injuries were reported. The fire was marked under control in 34 minutes, with ventilation taking another hour due to heavy smoke.
The semi driver made a difficult job harder.
“The total lack of awareness displayed by a semi-driver who entered the parking lot and recklessly drove over our supply line despite the obvious and active fireground situation presented in front of him — his actions busted two sections of 5-inch hose and forced firefighters to expend unnecessary effort in re-establishing their initial water supply and could have seriously affected the crews on the inside,” IFD said.
“The unpredictability that can occur with a fire deep inside a large commercial structure is enough to manage as it is — without having your water supply cut off by someone purposely driving over your supply line.”
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