Pipe Bursts, Floods Local Businesses

Cold weather took its toll Tuesday on at least one New Year’s resolution — to get into shape — after a frozen pipe burst and flooded the Bodyworks Fitness and Spa in Libertyville.

The Libertyville Fire Department called in neighboring departments for extra manpower to help vacuum and tarp areas inside the facility to prevent more damage.

Assistant Chief Mike Cloe said a 4-inch sprinkler pipe in the attic of the building at 510 First Street cracked and leaked water into the second floor.

“You couldn’t even open the door at first it was so high. Once the door opened it gushed out and ran down the stairwell,” he said.

The firefighters tarped exercise equipment and other areas like a cosmetics counter and juice bar area. The second floor, where the business had classes and massages, sustained the most damage.

Cloe said damage was estimated at $150,000 to $200,000.

Firefighters used backpack wet vacuums to try and dry out the fitness center.

An insurance company hired a restoration company to do the final clean-up.

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Fire Damages Building in Downtown Centerburg

Five area fire departments responded to a fire in downtown Centerburg late Tuesday evening that sent one tenant to the hospital.

Firefighters from Central Ohio Joint Fire District, Big Walnut, Mount Vernon, Delaware and Hartford arrived at 17 E. Main St., just after 10 p.m. The fire started in an upstairs apartment, according to COJFD Chief Joe Porter.

According to a report obtained from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, a tenant, Bill Myers, fell down the steps of his second-floor apartment when trying to escape. Porter said a neighbor observing the incident, Josh Scarbury, pulled Myers from the burning building.

Myers was transported by the Delaware EMS to the Ohio State University Hospital where he was treated for burns and smoke inhalation. A spokesperson told the News this morning that Myers was not listed as a patient.

Efforts to reach Scarbury for comment were unsuccessful.

A second apartment in the building is vacant.

The building, owned by Jarrod Compton, also houses 4 Seasons Air and White’s Office Supply. Compton could not be reached this morning for information.

Brant Silveous, owner of 4 Seasons Air, said his business sustained smoke and soot damage. “The fire departments did a great job of saving our space,” said Silveous.

Sustaining water and smoke damage in an adjoining building was White’s Office Supply. Owner Walter White responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. and said the fire was mainly contained when he arrived at the scene.

“Our guys did a heck of a job. I need to give them a pat on the back,” said Porter. “It was moving really quickly.”

The State Fire Marshals Office was also contacted by COJFD. The American Red Cross was also on the scene to assist the firefighters.

Porter estimates the extent of damage to be around $100,000. The cause of the fire is still unknown and is under investigation.

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1/4/12 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

This Afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. West wind between 11 and 13 mph.

Tonight: A chance of flurries after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind between 10 and 14 mph.

Thursday: A chance of flurries before 10am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 41. West wind between 9 and 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 33. West wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 48. West wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42.

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Burst Pipe Floods Nursing Home

A burst sprinkler pipe on the second floor of St. Gabriel Villa Dec. 29 caused the nursing home to be evacuated.

The water escaped the pipes from the second floor and made its way to the first floor core area, where staff made efforts to contain the water, according to a press release issued Jan. 3 by the Chelmsford long-term care facility.

Upon notice of the leak, the water to the facility was shut down. However, as a result of water exiting the sprinkler pipes, the fire alarm was automatically triggered and the fire department was notified.

Upon arrival and initial assessment of the flooded water, the fire department requested that the electricity and generator system be turned off.

Due to potential hazards, and safety and comfort of residents, an evacuation was called as a precautionary measure until the spill could be cleaned up and all safety risks ruled out, the press release said.

The actual cause of the fissure in the sprinkler pipe is still under investigation, the press release said.

In terms of preventing this type of leak from occurring again, “a written request has been sent to experts in the field in order to obtain that information,” according to the press release.

Residents were transported to the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda by bus, Handi-Transit and ambulance, with all arriving residents by about 3:30 p.m.

The evacuation effort went “without incident,” the press release said.

There was no structural damage reported as a result of the leak, the press release said.

The extent of the residual damage to the building (for example, the floors and ceilings), is still being assessed.

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Residents Struggle to Recover Sex Months After Flood

Bonnie Mills had 35 years of memories in her old coal-camp house in Knox County, so she hoped she could make repairs and stay in it after it was damaged by flooding last June.Mills started clearing away gooey mud the day the water receded and kept at it for weeks while staying in a rented place nearby, but relief officials and others eventually convinced her the house couldn't be fixed.She used federal disaster aid to buy a new mobile home, 48 feet long by 14 feet wide, and had it set up a few yards from her old house.The new place is sparsely furnished, and with electric heat it doesn't seem as warm as her old house, where she heated with wood and coal."I'm still trying to get used to this place," Mills, 63, said of her new home. "I call it my box."Six months after flooding damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in Knox, Bell and other Eastern Kentucky counties on June 20, many people still are trying to recover.Some people are working on repairs, using federal disaster aid and donated items to put their lives back together. Others moved away because their houses were destroyed or too badly damaged to fix.Jeff and Pam Sears, who live next to Mills, had to tear out the floor, the subfloor, wallboard and insulation to clear away damaged material, get rid of the smell, and make sure mold didn't take hold in their home.The muddy water was about 18 inches deep in their home during the flood.They powdered their front yard with lime to smother the stench of the mud deposited by the flood, and then, with the help of volunteers, shoveled the mess into a pile to be hauled away.The couple used their savings to buy building materials and a new heating and cooling system. Jeff Sears took off work for five weeks to do repairs, and has continued working on the house nearly every weekend since.They just finished installing insulation under the floor two weeks ago, and still need to finish work on the kitchen, laundry room and a bedroom."We're still in the process, but we're a lot better off," Pam Sears said. "Compared to six months ago, we're 110 percent better."The flooding happened after six inches or more of rain fell during a few hours in some spots.President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration covering Bell, Knox, Perry, Breathitt, Knott, Lee and Magoffin counties.At Kayjay, a former coal camp in the mountainous southern part of Knox County, floodwater funneled down narrow hollows and pushed creeks far out of their banks, washing several homes off their foundations.Residents in Knox and Bell counties have alleged in lawsuits that improper surface mining and reclamation — such as failing to maintain ponds designed to catch water running off mined areas — caused or worsened the flooding.The coal companies involved have denied causing or contributing to the flooding.People recounted how the water came up quickly in the middle of the night at Kayjay, trapping some in their homes.Mills, who called for help to no avail, rode out the flood perched on the back of her couch with her Jack Russell terrier, Corky, on her shoulder.Jeff and Pam Sears, their house popping and cracking, could hear their neighbors across the road begging for help, but they couldn't get to them."It was terrifying," Jeff Sears said of the flood.

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Condo Fire Causes Heavy Damage

Fire investigators are probing what caused a Monday afternoon kitchen fire that heavily damaged a condominium and inflicted minor injuries on its resident, the Contra Costa Fire District said.

The two-alarm blaze was reported about 3:20 p.m. at a two-story unit in the 300 block of Camelback Road, prompting a six-engine response involving more than 30 firefighters.

They found the resident in a downstairs bedroom and helped him outside. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution after he inhaled smoke.

Firefighters needed about 20 minutes to extinguish the fire, which rendered both the condominium and a neighboring unit uninhabitable, the fire district said. At least $350,000 in damage was caused, and displaced residents were offered housing relief by the American Red Cross.

Investigators believe the fire started in the kitchen but an exact cause has not been declared. The fire district said the resident was alerted to the fire by firefighters who entered his home; it was not immediately known whether the unit had working smoke alarms.

The fire district said smoke detectors should be placed in every bedroom and hallway, with at least one installed per floor. It also recommended that kitchen appliances should be turned off when not in use or not attended, and that combustible materials be kept away from heat sources such as stovetops.

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1/3/12 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

This Afternoon: Scattered flurries. Partly sunny, with a high near 28. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. North wind between 11 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of flurries after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 30. West wind between 8 and 11 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of flurries, mainly before 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind between 5 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. West wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41.

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