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Simsbury has had it's share of
tobacco barn fires through the years, but probably the most
spectacular occurred when the serenity of a beautiful Sunday
morning was broken at 11:35 a.m. on October 6, 1968. The
Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched to a row of
tobacco barns on Hoskins Road, just north of Squadron Line Road,
where the middle barn in a row of nine had caught fire and the
adjacent exposures were at extreme risk from the high radiant
heat being produced.
The fire in the original barn
quickly began to spread to the adjacent exposures as crews went
about the difficult task of trying to halt the fire's progress,
a challenge that was compounded by several factors. The
structures were composed mostly of wood and their slatted sides,
which allowed air to circulate through, undoubtedly aided
in the fire's extension. The tobacco harvest had just begun and
several barns had leaves hanging in them which ignited readily.
A southwest breeze helped to fan and spread the flames, and the
nearest hydrant was located a considerable distance away. A significant danger was posed
by the many propane tanks which were located immediately next to
several of the barns. As firefighters worked to quell the
advance of the flames, they also poured water on the many tanks
to prevent a BLEVE.
A Boiling Liquid Expanding
Vapor Explosion occurs when a container filled with flammable
liquids is heated. As the liquid begins to boil it converts to
vapor and pressure begins to build within the vessel. If the
pressure relief mechanism fails or is unable to properly relieve
the pressure, the container will rupture resulting in an
explosion that produces a fireball, considerable radiant heat
and projectiles. While the pressure relief valves on a few tanks
activated this day, fortunately no BLEVE's occurred because of
the efforts of the personnel on-scene.
Firefighters were able stop the
westward advance of the fire and save the last three barns, but
the blaze proved to intense to save any of the barns to the east
of the origin. One firefighter there that day remembered how the
remaining barn on the end almost seem to explode in flames, the
remnants falling to the ground in what seemed like only seconds.
The barn of origin is a smoldering shell and fire is spreading to the adjacent structures as the first units arrive on-scene. The fire extends from barn to barn because of the high amount of radiant heat being produced. As one barn burns ferociously, firefighters work to save the adjacent exposure. An aerial view of the conflagration. The road in leads to the barn of origin. The remaining barn to the east erupts in flames. The structure begins to fail as a pressure relief value vents vapors from a heated propane tank. Crews work to wet-down a smoldering barn and debris. A propane tank releasing it flammable contents. Firefighters Dan Hayes and Mike Palmer operating a hand line. A firefighter wets-down a pile of tobacco leaves.
The barn of origin is a smoldering shell and fire is spreading to the adjacent structures as the first units arrive on-scene.
Photographs by Andy
Moores
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