Five-alarm fire causes extensive damage at Country Classic Cars

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/...ve-damage-at-country-classic-cars/?refer=news

 

I heard about this the other day. It's a dang shame. It's just how things go sometimes though.
Glad to hear they kept it contained to one building.

 

Like so many other things and places, we drove right past this place many times, planning to stop SOMEDAY just like we'd stop SOMEDAY at Lane's museum in Nashshville, and so many other old car museums, old fillling stations, and more interesting places.
When rushing down the highway dragging an RV or driving a motorhome, it's not always easy to turn back or get off to visit some places.
Also it seems we are always in too big a hurry to get someplace or get back home. Over the years time runs out.
Take time to stop and check the scenery, the old buildings, even old cemetaries before you end up in one of them.
You don't have to stop and smell the roses...................at least slow down enough to see them!

 

That should dent their business for a long time to come. If they aren't taking precautions, I wouldn't trust my car to them. First and foremost, they should have a functioning sprinkler system and the vehicles should be stored dry. Meaning, draining their fuel tanks. I'd also take into consideration storing a valuable vehicle of mine in storage where there are very few items. Meaning, separate buildings containing few vehicles and distanced far enough away from each other, so that a fire couldn't spread from one building to another.

 

It's normal to pack them in close and have unheated or non-cooled garages. We've been in lots of car museums where rare cars are so close there is little room for the caretakers to walk. Of course the visiters are always behind ropes or some sort of barriers to keep grubby fingers and belt buckles away.
Many places like that have cars on consignment and runable, even if not moveable.
Mice, rust, and other things can create a hazzard over the years.

 

a dagn shame, saw it also on the news. I do agree, that as a business you want to do everything to ward of situations like this, with say the fire sprinkler system mentioned above and maybe more.

 

The sprinkler would only be usefull, if the vehicles had their tanks drained. If their owners absolutely wanted to have fuel in their tanks, a typical multi-story, windowless public garage styled building would have been appropriate.

 

The biggest problem with trying to have a sprinkler system is the same thing that hampered the firefighters--a lack of usable hydrants. If he were to go ahead and install sprinkler systems in each building, he'd need to install cisterns with pumps, or install his own water tower, to feed it, then he'd still need a water source to fill it up. The good thing is that the fire did not spread to any of the other buildings; that would've brought the need for more alarms and many more tankers.

 

How many members have sprinklers and or fire alarms in their garage?

I haven't even put a fire extinguisher in mine after the cars have been there nearly two years.
I'd have to run a water line. I'd have to heat the garage in winters like that large dealership that burned. I'd have to plumb it and add sprinklers. That's work and costs money.

Garages and shops burn, tornados and hurricanes happen, Floods, hail, and wind destroy buildings and cars. That's why old cars are rare and become rarer.
We have a neighbor across the road who parks two cars under his bedroom. I remember when my grandparents did the same.

 

Exactly! I'm sure i am not the only member who has there garage alarmed for break in but nothing else. However if my sensors would melt due to a fire, then the alarm company would get a signal and notify me 1st and if they can't reach me they call 911 but by then the building would be just about ashes if we were not home or it was the middle of the night. Got fire extinguishers in my garage.... a lot of good they will do me if I woke up in the middle of the night to see my garage in flames...they are inside, and I don't think the 10lb one in the kitchen would do any good. I also park my cars outside.... a fire natural or man made, if it's gona burn up in flames, inside, outside, sprinklers or what ever it will. And who would store there vehicle with the fuel tank drained? IMO, I don't care what climate you live in, a dry gas tank/lines will rust inside out if stored for a longer period of time.

Is a shame though, so many nice cars gone forever in a instant............................

 

I saw that the place is back open, and the owners are reaching out, buying replacement stock, let's just hope that the insurance covers enough to take care of the consignees and get that building replaced. And let's hope he can do something about having some kind of firemain built closer to his property.

 

Fire extinguishers..... In the past I had at least one small fire extinquisher in each car and RV, whether I drove them or not. Many car events require them.
One just inside the kitchen door and usually one in the basement.
Since I did a lot of welding and painting in and near the garage I had one just inside the walk in door and several hanging on walls easy to get at.
When moving those disappeared. I'm not sure there even is a fire extinquisher in the two old cars in this garage and none hanging in the garage. Not even an extinguisher anyplace in the house. Someone here is slipping up!

 

Thanks Brad. We live north of there left on I-74. Last time we passed that dealer we were moving back to Illinois from Florida. From what I remember most cars out where they could be seen from I-55 were more or less rough originals. Sadly it's way to expensive for those type wheeler-dealers and sales outfits to park cars farther apart and have fire protection. I'm sure they have enough trouble with theft protection.
Overpricing cars seems normal yet stupid. Selling for a far price would move a lot more cars and bring in more people.

I'm sorry, but seeing your name Brad, makes me think of the young girl on the TV commercial, L. M.

 

That was below the belt, Sir. Time to throw the TeeVee out the window and just watch internet. At least, it won't dissolve your brain as fast.