October 25th, 2024
On Saturday, September 14th, the Evansville Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at a commercial business located at 213 W. Division St. At 4 pm, Vanderburgh County dispatch confirmed that the commercial structure fire had occurred at a mattress store. Firefighters battled the flames for several hours before the fire was successfully under control. Thick, dark smoke filled the sky and was visible from several miles away. Vehicles who drove by could feel the heat of the flames as the building burned.
Unfortunately, they transported one rescuer with heat-related injuries to the hospital. Thankfully, no one was in the building at the time of the fire. Investigators believe the fire started on the third floor. The owners plan to rebuild the mattress business they established in 1946. Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials will focus their investigation on the third floor. The destruction of the building left the fourth-generation owners devastated as they were in the middle of a grand opening sale.
Risk Logic published an article on Fire Protection for Mattress Storage with guidance that could help prevent fires like this. Our well-trained and experienced engineers can inspect your business and identify potential fire hazards. Mattress production and storage represent a significant fire exposure. Providing adequately designed and maintained automatic sprinkler systems should be your first option to protect these facilities. Automatic sprinklers can control or suppress a fire if it breaks out. RLI recently reported on a mattress fire in March 2024; please click here to read more. Please contact us to help you evaluate how to properly store mattresses and materials and protect against possible combustible items.
