FIRE! Employees evacuate field station in Myrtle Beach
A hastily created firebreak saved the yard.
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On November the 7th, employees at Palmetto Transportation Constructors got word that a brush fire three miles from their four-acre yard facility was burning their way. Six people were at the facility, but help poured in from around the Carolina Bays Parkway project as alert workers heard the message on their radios.
Thanks to a team effort under the guidance of safety manager Howard Hendricks, employees handled the situation efficiently. Told they had an hour to evacuate, Howard directed people to remove all of the computers from the three office trailers first, and then any crucial paperwork. Whole drawers were removed, sealed in heavy plastic bags, and loaded into trucks.
The wind direction changed, so crews ended up with two and one-half hours to evacuate. A subcontractor used bulldozers to create a 40-foot wide firebreak around the property. Meanwhile, crews were removing expensive tools such as drill bits and pressure components from the three storage trailers and the shop.
Just before everyone left the area, Howard took digital photos of everything for insurance purposes. "I recommend doing that periodically anyway," says Howard, "just in case." As former chief of safety at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, Howard participated in the evacuation of 9,000 people from the base in 1991 when a volcano erupted. He recommends that every job site have an evacuation plan. He explains, "When leaving the site, take what would be difficult to replace. It's a good idea to have heavy plastic bags and tape on hand at all times."
Everyone got out of the yard safely, and fortunately the fire break saved the property left at the yard. The fire, which lasted for 10 days, was probably started by a careless smoker.
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