Gilbert warehouse fire caused by discarded cigarette

The massive six-alarm fire that destroyed the warehouse of a Gilbert plumbing supply company on Monday caused an estimated $8 million in damage, and was caused by a discarded cigarette, a Gilbert Fire Department spokesman said Tuesday. The blaze destroyed the outdoor warehouse of Farnsworth Wholesale, on Baseline Road between Arizona Avenue and S. McQueen Road. The large plumbing supply company has other facilities in Mesa and the west Valley. Captain Mark Justus said someone apparently threw a cigarette into an area where there were cardboard boxes containing fiberglass bathtubs.

"We see people discard cigarettes all the time,'' he said, adding the owners of Farnsworth Wholesale want the public to know that "they are down several million in merchandise because of carelessness.'' No charges are planned because there is no evidence the fire was intentional, Justus said, adding that the fire occurred in a public area and it is unclear if it was started by an employee or a visitor. Justus said Investigators could not narrow the fire down to a specific cigarette and are calling it improper disposal of smoking materials for that reason. Investigators made the ruling based upon surveillance video from Farnsworth Wholesale and nearby businesses, interviews with witnesses who were near the point of origin and aerial footage shot from news helicopters.

"Normally, you don't have this trail of information to follow. This is as good as it gets,'' Justus said, adding that burn patterns also helped narrow down the point of origin. "They could tell where the most concentrated area was from the videos." The massive fire was fought by 193 firefighters, during its zenith, from the Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe fire departments. There were no major injuries and firefighters were able to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to Farnsworth Wholesale's offices and to a nearby neighborhood. Mesa Fire Captain Forrest Smith said today that one patient was treated on scene for a laceration, a second suffered from smoke inhalation and two firefighters were treated for heat-related illnesses.

While the fire's cause remains under investigation, fire officials estimate the damage at about $8 million, he said. With 193 firefighters from Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler and Mesa battling the blaze at its height, Justus said: "It's testimony to the ability of these firefighters to work together." "We all work from the same playbook,'' he said. "We all play well together.'' Early this morning, firefighters started using heavy equipment to remove debris from the fire scene so that they could extinguish embers burning underneath, Justus said. He said a team of investigators from the Gilbert and Mesa police departments, and possibly other agencies, then started to investigate the origin. Justus estimated that it may take several days to determine a cause.

Smith said the Union Pacific Railway shut down a line as a safety precaution as thick black smoke enveloped the area just south of Baseline Road and west of McQueen Road. Railroad ties also were damaged and crews were dispatched to begin repairs about three hours after the fire started at 3 p.m. Gilbert police Lt. John Lyle said residents on one street east of the fire site were voluntarily evacuated as a precaution. Justus said the evacuation lasted for about two hours so that air quality readings could be obtained to assure the safety of residents.

Embers from the fire, whipped by high winds, also ignited palm trees on fire in the neighborhood. By 7 p.m., the state Department of Environmental Quality determined it was safe for residents to return, but advised them to minimize their exposure to air outside. Despite the heavy burden caused by the fire, Smith said Mesa fire still responded to 94 ther calls for service, including three where patients had stopped breathing.