Photo provided by Lt. Ignatius Carroll, Jr
On December 6, 2013, Miami (FL) Fire Rescue responded to a Code One Laundromat Fire at the corner of NW 7thStreet and 23rdAve just after 6pm.
Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke showing from the front door and several exterior vents. According to the manager, she saw smoke coming from the ceiling near the dryer and quickly evacuated the building.
Firefighters initiated an interior fire attack and quicklysearchedthe building. The fire rapidly traveled through the drop ceiling and dryer lint chutes, making it challenging for firefighters to extinguish.
As the fire continued to spread, the ceiling began to weaken, forcing firefighters to back out and assume adefensiveattack mode. Moments later, the ceiling and sections of the roofcollapsed.
The fire was brought under control about two hours later and there were no reported injuries. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
For more on structural collapse, considerStructural Collapse Under Fire Conditions,救援Points to Ponder: FIRE AND COLLAPSE, andCOLLAPSE :MOVEMENT OF THE STRUCTURE.
