The Beecher Fire Protection District, part of MABAS Division 27, provided mutual aid to a high-priority fire last week in Lowell, Indiana. According to Beecher Fire Chief Dave Lagesse, Beecher Truck 405, a 2006 Pierce Enforcer equipped with a 75-foot aluminum ladder, pumped over 640,000 gallons of water during a 10-hour operation at the scene. The fire took place on Thursday, August 10th, at the former Rieter Automotive building located at 101 W. Oakley Avenue. As reported by *The Northwest Indiana Times*, the blaze was accidentally started by a construction crew working inside the abandoned facility just before noon on Wednesday.
Jimmy Harper, a project manager for BRT Indiana LLC, explained that workers were moving equipment and cutting beams when an unknown material ignited, leading to a rapid spread of flames. Harper, who was inside the building with 11 other employees, mentioned that the sprinkler system had been disabled, making it impossible to control the fire using standard extinguishers. The situation escalated quickly, prompting a multi-alarm response from local fire departments.
For more details, you can read the full article [here](#). A YouTube video capturing the event is available [here](#), and additional coverage can be found [here](#).
Chief Lagesse shared several powerful images showing the intense firefighting efforts by Beecher Truck 405. Unfortunately, he was unable to identify the photographer. If anyone recognizes the photographer, please reach out so we can properly credit them.
Stainless Steel Plate 304,304l Stainless Steel Plate,Stainless 304 Steel Plate
Henan Houming Industry Co., Ltd. , https://www.houmingsteel.com