Firefighters help workers save files, equipment

NORTH LIBERTY - As he watched flames engulf his workplace, Andrew Furhmeister said, he was primarily hoping that everyone would escape safely.

Next, JMI Laboratories' chief financial officer thought about the lab equipment and research the company had stored in the burning building at Beaver Kreek Centre.

“The first thing is that you hope everyone is OK and safe, and the second thing is you hope the Fire Department and rescue team can get to the fire and save the building, and the Fire Department did that,” Furhmeister said as he stood outside the lab examining the damage to the building. “No one was hurt - that's really all I can ask.”

Though officials expect the cost of the structural damage from Tuesday's fire to exceed $1 million, Furhmeister said all of the lab's research - dating back 10 years - was saved because the North Liberty Fire Department helped workers remove it shortly after the blaze was contained. He said most of the lab's equipment and samples were salvageable, though some paper documents will need to be discarded. The lab conducts research for drug companies.

Fire Capt. Craig Voparil confirmed that firefighters helped employees of the lab remove some of their coolers shortly after the fire was put out.

Voparil said members of the department also went into the building to retrieve heirlooms for at least four residents who lost their homes in the fire. In some cases, he said, firefighters provided residents with boots and pants and guided them through their units in order to gather some of their belongings.

The decision to re-enter a structure dependson its safety, he said.

“When it comes to deciding to try to salvage things, there's a lot to take into consideration,” Voparil said. “With the fire originating on the second floor, you're of course worried about the structural integrity of the floor and ceiling.”

Voparil said the department checked out the scene before allowing residents and employees to re-enter the building, and the structure was deemed safe. Whenever a building is not a total loss, he said, the department does its best to prevent further damage and collect what might be left.

State Fire Marshal Rey Reynolds said departments typically document any items removed from structures, as some insurance companies don't allow their clients to change or alter the scene of an incident.

“It's uncommon to let a resident go in on their own, but sometimes under the guidance of a firefighter, when (the department has) a pretty good idea what caused the fire (and) doesn't anticipate anything suspicious, it's not uncommon to say, ‘Oh, I'll go with you,'” Reynolds said.

Though the cause of the fire has not been determined, Voparil said an investigation determined it was accidental.

Nine residential units also were damaged during the blaze. Those residents are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.