Man saves workshop from fire

KILLINGWORTH -- Firefighters were called out Sunday to fight a workshop blaze but didn't have much to do when they arrived.The owner of the workshop, Charlie Rickert, had the fire contained and just about out.

"I was in the back chopping wood," said Rickert, a retired firefighter, as he stood under burned ceiling joists and a hole in the roof of his workshop. "I saw a lot of smoke so I ran up here [to the workshop] but didn't see any flames."

Rickert was lucky that he was around to see the fire and take action, but he was also prepared. He built the workshop himself 10 years ago and ran a water pipe into the building for just such an emergency, as well as for convenience.

"It's always good to have a hose around," he said.

When Rickert entered the building, it filled with smoke about chest high. He said he turned the power off at the fuse box then started attacking the fire with the hose.

Eliminating the power when fighting a fire is important, because, according to Rickert, the heat from the fire could melt the insulation off the electrical wires and the last thing anyone wants to do is throw water on a live line. "Cutting the power eliminates another hazard," he said.

Rickert spotted flames rising into the ceiling and ripped down the overhead siding on the ceiling, giving him better access to the roof.

He then ran the hose out of the skylight window and, armed with his claw hammer, went on the roof to pour water into the ceiling.

During his battle he had made several attempts at dialing 911, but hadn't been able to get through. Luckily though, emergency dispatch traced his number and called him and were able to scramble engines out to him.

Killingworth Fire Chief Richard Bauer said, "He, [Rickert] did a great job stopping the fire. It could have been a lot worse if he hadn't noticed it and controlled it immediately."

Being prepared to deal with a fire is important for homeowners and Rickert has taken precautions. He said, "I think people should know how to do this kind of thing themselves." He said that anyone could -- and should -- be able to take the same steps he did.

The fire department did dump about 100 gallons of water into Rickert's shop after arriving, and double-checked the structure for hidden hot spots.

Bauer explained that by using the hose Rickert had controlled the blaze and stopped the fire from spreading, making it easier for firefighters to put the fire out.

Ultimately, though, professionals need to be called in for structure fires even if a homeowner is able to control and extinguish the fire to make sure it is completely out.

It should also be noted that Rickert has a lot of experience dealing and less experienced homeowners should be cautious when facing fires.

Taking precautions of having a plan ready in case of a fire, as well as having items such as hoses, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, can help homeowners limit their loses.

Rickert's fire was started by his wood burning stove, though it was insulated and he often checked it. After seven years of using the stove, despite insulation, the wood around the fire box where the stove pipe goes through the ceiling became "charcoal," and as a result the fire Rickert lit that morning started the wood on fire.

Killingworth's Fire Department has also done a lot to prepare for fires in the area and spent last year drawing up a map of locations of ponds and water supplies so that the dispatch center knows when a water truck will be needed to fight fires and the firemen know where water is in the area.

Fire Inspector Ray Clark said Rickert would not have been aware of the problems in his ceiling because of the insulation covering it.

Clark said this was a common way for fires to start and Rickert would need to build a better fire box around the pipe in order to avoid this again.

He said Rickert's current set-up was too close to the ceiling joists and the heat from the years of use was responsible for creating the hazard.

Rickert was already working on a plan

to tackle this problem while repairing the hole in his roof and replacing a few ceiling joists.

"I was very fortunate," he said. "Compared to what could have been lost," this isn't too bad, he said.