Fire at Aero Country

[SCCutler]

Heard about this on the news; was mortified when they said it went to 3 alarms, afraid planes might have been damaged, especially fearful for Bo Boggs; all OK, though.

That's what one gets for taking up a perfectly-good hangar for non-aviation use!

[SIZE=+2]3-alarm blaze destroys airport hangar near McKinney

[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]08:04 AM CDT on Friday, April 14, 2006

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]From Staff Reports[/SIZE]

WFAA-TV
The hangar was used by a landscaping company.


A three-alarm blaze destroyed a hangar at a private airport in northwestern Collin County Friday morning.
McKinney fire officials said the blaze began shortly before 5 a.m. at the Aero Country airport in the 10000 block of Vought Lane, just south of Highway 380.
Investigators determined two employees of a landscape company that rents the hangar were welding and spilled some gasoline, and a spark ignited the vapors.
No one was injured in the fire, but the hangar's roof collapsed. No planes were housed in the building, officials said.
A damage estimate has not been determined.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

ooooh thats why some airports prohibit non-av uses of hangars.

 

[The Old Man]

That hangar is completely destroyed. Roof collapsed due to heat causing the roof trusses to bend like pretzels. I couldn't make an accurate count of the vehicles inside and on the north side of the hangar that were destroyed. (I would have had to take my shoes off ;^) )

Hangar immediately to the west had some items inside damaged from the heat and a section of wall ripped open.

Hangar to the east is steel frame, wood stringer, sheet metal with several planes inside. There are 2 large size scorch areas on the wall. Paint charred on the inside and the 2X4 stringers showing some evidence of being just short of ignition.

T31 has been going less aviation for years. I have been forced out of 2 rental spots because the hangar was being converted to other uses. It is sad, but there are still in the neighborhood of 300 planes there.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

I looked at buying a hanger there and backed away after looking at it (and the area). Lots of non-aviation uses. Taxiways blocked; old fuel truck parked outside one hanger next to where I'd be. Everyone was very friendly, but lots of folks were just doing almost anything they wanted to (which is good and bad).

I don't like all regs at Addison (where I wound up), but I can get my plane in and out without having to go find several folks and ask them to move stuff so I can access the runway. There are some non-aviation through the fence folks, but the airport really regulates them and keeps them off the taxiways (at Addison).

One problem with these places that were developed years ago is there is no central authority to keep the hangers aviation use or regulate non-aviation uses. Non aviation businesses can often pay more rent. Then aviators have to deal with trades and contractors that have little understanding of aviation safety.

Dave