EXTRA!: Springdale Gas Station Burns Down

In the early hours of Saturday, July 17, 2010, Bernie Jacobs' gas station and mechanic's shop in Springdale, WA caught fire. The fire was reported by 5:40 AM, but by the time fire trucks arrived, the only gas station in town was fully engulfed and the black smoke could be seen for miles. Fire crews worked on the blaze until nearly noon to ensure the blaze was fully extinguished. A large diesel track hoe, displaying possible fuel injector issues, was enlisted in the effort to dig through the twisted metal remains in search of hot spots that could cause a flare up days later.

The efforts blocked Hwy 231, the primary street through town, on the weekend of Springdale's annual rodeo. While traffic was able to detour around the fire on School Avenue, the Annual Parade had to be canceled. The two day rodeo, held every year on the third weekend in July, continued as scheduled.

The fire burned at over 1200 degrees Fahrenheit as evidenced by the melted aluminum side panels on the bed of this Old Ford truck. Based on a cursory inspection, the truck could be salvaged, but would require substantial work to the wheel assemblies on the left side, and the bed of the truck would probably need to be replaced. Any rubber parts and electrical wires on the left side of the truck would also need inspected and possibly replaced. The paint on the drivers door is blistered, but it is unlikely there was any interior damage from the fire. The cars inside the garage, however, are now scrap steel.

There was concern that the fire would spread to the fifteen foot travel trailer visible in the left of this picture, but it was moved away from the building in time. The fire melted the sign, but did not spread to the adjacent trees thanks to the residual water content in the trees and the efforts of the fire fighters.

The probable presence of car batteries and other toxic elements in the shop have risen concerns about toxic run off from the fire suppression efforts into Sheep Creek immediately north of the building.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as of this writing. Given the totality of the destruction and sheer volume of metal debris it is unlikely any forensic evidence will be found. However, given the age of the building and the probable contents of the building, the potential causes are numerous. Clean up is expected to begin today.