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fire in Brandon

fire in Brandon

Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

That's
5/21/2018 at 11:55 AM

ronfay said "McKenzie Seeds (both buildings on 9th) are concrete decks and structure with brick and/or concrete shell. Very different from the exclusively wood structure of Christies. "

good to hear. It would still be a bugger to contain. The current owner doesn't seem interested in maintaining the historical building.
Silverli
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 63

Silverli
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 63

I agree with Adam...
5/21/2018 at 12:36 PM

I don't think it is wise to start rumors about causes...especially arson. I live between Louise and Victoria on 7th, and had burnt bits of stuff landing in my yard all day. They were still warm to the touch, so it is VERY possible that the other fires surrounding Christies were caused by burning debris blown over from the fire. There was no random arsonist running around starting fires.
Sylv
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 322

Sylv
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 322

The older building would survive.
5/21/2018 at 12:50 PM

ronfay said "McKenzie Seeds (both buildings on 9th) are concrete decks and structure with brick and/or concrete shell. Very different from the exclusively wood structure of Christies. "

The older (taller) McKenzie building would survive. The newer (next to Pacific) building is debatable, as it involves more other products and just wasn't built as well as the older part. The other side piece with the store and old mail order area on the other side would go up like tinder, it was built very poorly.

I worked there for 15 years, and damn I loved that old building. Breaks my heart to see it now. :-(
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Explosion
5/21/2018 at 2:11 PM

Added a submitted video of what I believe might be the explosion being talked about here at the link below. Thank you to Brenton Warren for sharing.
https://youtu.be/TEcep8-bxq0
The_Young_Man
Joined: This month
Posts: 1626

The_Young_Man
Joined: This month
Posts: 1626

Video
5/21/2018 at 3:28 PM

In the link below there’s some really good video of the fire. Probably the best footage I’ve seen so far.

https://youtu.be/w_xoTBWEbtU
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

There
5/21/2018 at 3:35 PM

were a couple good fireballs when I was recording. One from the small shed attached to Christie's, then another just at Collyers.

Here's my videos. They are my Facebook Live videos that took during the fire then downloaded. They are not in HD sadly.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6H4IlIHS5IhiDwrjYbIxB-NolaJCEM3Z
Ms.Daisy
Joined: This month
Posts: 256

Ms.Daisy
Joined: This month
Posts: 256

Video
5/21/2018 at 4:57 PM

The_Young_Man said "In the link below there’s some really good video of the fire. Probably the best footage I’ve seen so far.

https://youtu.be/w_xoTBWEbtU "

Thanks for sharing this video. Liam does amazing work capturing video and photos.

I had to chuckle at 1:28 and Brossart made sure he had a good picture

Dropped off some donations early and talked to a few people who mostly seemed to be in good spirits despite the last 48 hours.
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Fire investigators
5/21/2018 at 6:47 PM

will likely be going through all the video and photos that people have posted to try to determine where it started in Christie's. They will also be talking to staff for their accounts of what was happening just before. Was there an electrical anomaly just before? On Sunday I saw a couple BPS officers looking at the security cameras on the Samaritan House. Guessing to see if any were pointed in the direction of the fire. Otherwise finding physical evidence in what's left of the building that will point to the cause won't happen.

In my videos and seen in other pictures that were taken just after it started, the fire was at the top floors/roof of the building and nothing in the lower floors.
Not.A.People.Pleaser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 736

Not.A.People.Pleaser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 736

trevor
5/21/2018 at 9:07 PM

I'm not naive enough to believe it's an arsonist running around rampant. You are right, fires can start for multiple reasons.

I've seen how destructive fires can be and how easily they can jump or the embers spread in the wind. I've watched loved ones lose their home to a fire and that wasn't fun to deal with.

I'm also well aware of things that were inside Collyer's/BBC/Kazic's because that building wasn't just home to those three businesses. They are just the only ones talked about because that's what the general public needs to knows. There sadly was a lot of things in there to easily keep that fire going for as long as it was.

All those buildings were old. The city of Brandon is just very lucky the damage wasn't worse. It very easily could have been and more buildings could have been lost.

I never went into Christie's much other than for work related items or postal, so I can't speak to what the upper floors were storing.

As for the truck fire the day after, again, vehicles can catch on fire for a lot of reasons. Hell that one apparently reignited in accel's compound last night and was thankfully brought under control pretty fast.

It's just a shame how information spreads. It's one massive game of telephone and reading Facebook for information is a joke.
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

5/21/2018 at 9:53 PM

You are so right!! I think we are on the same page. I get fed up with a lot of this misinformation that gets spread. And that's how dangerous rumours get started.

The city is also lucky the wind wasn't from the south. Lots of homes that are just as old are on the northside. And many are also an inferno waiting for an ignition source. Then instead of it being confined to the Downtown area, it would be in an area with many homes, trees and other combustible material.
Donnel
Joined: This month
Posts: 64

Donnel
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Posts: 64

Domo
5/21/2018 at 9:54 PM

Was all the way by domo on first and felt embers and debris falling from the sky. So could have been a lot worse. Also the instance of f150 can catch fire for no reason I can confirm this I was driving to Winnipeg from Thompson when out of no where my electrical panel heated up and caught fire while I was driving in winter.
Not.A.People.Pleaser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 736

Not.A.People.Pleaser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 736

Donnel
5/21/2018 at 10:35 PM

Roughly what time was that at (you seeing embers and ash by domo)? I live near there and I don't recall the winds shifting enough to blow it our way but I could be wrong
JulesK
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 22

JulesK
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 22

Christie ownership
5/22/2018 at 9:02 AM

Who owns Christie’s?

CarolynJ
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 266

Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 266

5/22/2018 at 6:08 PM

Trevor B said "that started the fire in Christie's looked like was in the upper floors of the building seeing how the fire went from the top to the bottom. I believe the upper floors were just old storage and not used. The over 130 year old wood in those floors would of been tinder dry and any dry paper wouldn't need much to start an inferno. My guess would be an electrical short was the ignition source. Animal chew through a wire? Since the 4 story building in now just a pile of ash and twisted metal, the exact source likely will never be known.

I makes me worry about some of the other old structures in town. The old McKenzie Seeds building if it went up for example.

Edited by Trevor B, 2018-05-20 10:40:10"

monitor the falcon nest on the McKenzie building for the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project and I was watching from the west side of 10th Street. From my angle it looked like it started in the lower part of the building.

http://www.species-at-risk.mb.ca/pefa/

Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Footage
5/22/2018 at 7:31 PM

Aerial (drone?) footage that really puts into perspective the scope of what took place:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/164660067@N06/28378267938/
Cassie1668
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Cassie1668
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May I
5/22/2018 at 7:33 PM

Suggest that fire does not burn from top down? If it started high it would have been slow to go down-fast spread indicates it started low and burned upward.
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

The entire
5/22/2018 at 8:16 PM

Cassie1668 said "Suggest that fire does not burn from top down? If it started high it would have been slow to go down-fast spread indicates it started low and burned upward. "

roof was fully involved before the basement area. The third comment of the thread has a video with a fully involved roof and the lower area flame free.

The building is fully involved #cbcmb #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/jwiHGFK0lA
&mdash: Riley Laychuk (@RileyLaychuk) May 19, 2018
passingthru
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 29

passingthru
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 29

drone footage
5/22/2018 at 8:24 PM

I thought they changed the law so that you couldn't legally fly drones over inhabited buildings anymore.
Cassie1668
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Cassie1668
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Posts: 193

Trevor
5/22/2018 at 8:33 PM

From that angle we cannot see how much fire is in the bottom portion. Looks to me there is fire all up the back side of the building. And i think fully involved means more than just a roof or top floor fire?
Winter123
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Winter123
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Posts: 848

ash
5/22/2018 at 10:01 PM

My daughter told me today that their school has ash in the playground of her school (on 3rd). That sure traveled a long way
The_Young_Man
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The_Young_Man
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Posts: 1626

Fire
5/22/2018 at 10:09 PM

Cassie1668 said "Suggest that fire does not burn from top down? If it started high it would have been slow to go down-fast spread indicates it started low and burned upward. "

The fire was so intense and involved that the floors would of been collapsing which would of caused the flames to fall to the below floor. I have no idea where the fire started, but the top floors of Christie’s were well involved before the bottom floors were. Which makes me think that’s were it stated. But there was flames coming from the basement area too. Could of really stated anywhere.Hopefully more info released at some point. I’m sure it will be.

Also, Trevor I agree, but if you look closely at the video in one of my post on page 1 of the discussion you can see flames coming from a door or window in the basement area of Christie’s. Look by the stop sign. It possible.

Edited by The_Young_Man, 2018-05-22 22:24:43
Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

Cassie
5/22/2018 at 10:11 PM

I believe what Trevor was referring to, and I may be wrong but from his perspective the roof and top floors were fully involved, which generally means every Sq in of those areas he’s referring to were, maybe at that time the rest of the building wasn’t, but Than it turns
Into the building fully involved, but perhaps with auto correct he meant engulfed.
Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

fully involved
5/22/2018 at 10:16 PM

Means that it’s a big fire and and that all hands on deck are required, fully engulfed means that every piece of the location whether it means roof floor you building means that fire has touch every part of it, so yeah it was both.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Basement
5/22/2018 at 10:20 PM

Cassie1668 said "Suggest that fire does not burn from top down? If it started high it would have been slow to go down-fast spread indicates it started low and burned upward. "

Not sure I totally get why but there’s one fringe outlet that isn’t overly qualified to do news coverage on this topic that seems to be pushing the basement theory. In the absense any factually verified reports on the topic, if forced to choose the poster going by The Young Man has made many knowledgeable posts on these types of topics over the years and I’d tend to lean their way ... but I don’t really see the need to try to confidently answer this one before investigators do their job with information and resources that none of us will have access to.
Edited by Adam, 2018-05-22 22:44:18
Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

Trapper85
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 145

not to
5/22/2018 at 10:26 PM

Mention that building was around 130, giver or take year old, that equals some pretty dry wood, at that point I don’t think it would matter where the fire
Started, it could have started in the dead centre of the building for all we know, and spread everywhere’s the same time, but where did we see it first, this is just hypothetically speaking of course.
Trevor B

Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Trevor B
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8881

Vintage Brandon on Facebook
5/22/2018 at 11:15 PM

has a large photo collection of the fire from many angles and phases. There is one photo that shows before the fire department got setup. And it shows a huge amount of fire on the roof and nowhere else. And why would it be not possible for the fire to have started on the roof? I agree that it could of stared elsewhere, but the many photos and video are showing otherwise.

Fire Investigators are also going to be relying on these same photos and videos to help determine how and where the fire started. Finding physical evidence in the rubble and ash is likely impossible.
Grandmama
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 889

Grandmama
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 889

According to...
5/23/2018 at 10:18 AM

JulesK said "
Who owns Christie’s?
"

According to article in Brandon Sun on Tuesday, May 22, Christie’s is owned by Travis Chastko, who issued a statement on Sunday advising that they were “already planning how they would get the company up and running again.”
TJF
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 241

TJF
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 241

...
5/23/2018 at 10:50 AM

If your wondering how fire can go from the bottom up to the top so fast in an old building, google “balloon frame construction”.
rm
Joined: This month
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rm
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Posts: 42

interesting article re: balloon frame construction
5/23/2018 at 12:14 PM

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue-8/features/fighting-fires-in-balloon-frame-construction.html
Donnel
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Posts: 64

Donnel
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Posts: 64

booboo
5/23/2018 at 2:36 PM

Was about 12:30-1:00 went to gas station for water as I was fishing and black wood chips were falling on me and pump guys head