Historic HomeWorks Forum

[johnleeke]

A fire was started in a 200 year-old farm house in Yarmouth, Maine, on 6/22/06. The fire aparently started when a heat gun was being used to remove paint.

See WCSH TV 6 News Video:
http://wm.wcsh-wlbz.gannett.edgestreams.net/news/062206_cumbfire_wcsh.wmv

It's always a shame when historic buildings catch on fire due to the use of heat guns for paint removal. Especially when there are effective alternatives, such as Steam Paint Removal, that will not catch a building on fire.

Learn more about Steam Paint Removal here:
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=133

see video of Steam Paint Removal:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/video/spr-video.htm

[Jimmy47708]

I've used a Propane Torch to remove 40 or so layers of old
paints,etc.of an old East 136 st Hotel in Cleveland,OH back in 1992.

One MAJOR Concern is, after each completed day of torch usage,YOU MUST
use a water hose,etc. to completely wet all services,crevices,etc so
no combustion wll occur.

But if you're not an True Profesional,just use Chemical Removers,like
Diedriche,etc.or an belt sander,etc.lol;

[woodturner]

Chalk another one up to careless painters - an historic house in the Cincinnati area burned recently, and the cause was attributed to painters using heat guns that apparently started a smoldering fire inside the walls that did not erupt into flame for several hours.

[johnleeke]

Ralph:

Thanks for the notice on the Cincinnati fire. Here is a new report on it, including photos and video:

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070727/NEWS01/707270377/1056/OPINION

Firefighter's were injured, but thankfully no loss of life. Photo indicate that about a third of the fine old historic mansion was destroyed.

Let us know if you hear that heat paint removal is positively identified as the cause.

[jade]

as a volunteer fire fighter, i actually fought a fire that was caused by painters using a heatgun.....the house is a beautiful old mansion and quite extensively damaged...the owners are still working to bring it back to its former glory....the home is in ashfield, massachusetts....

[johnleeke]

Yet another house fire was caused by heat gun paint removal in Newcastle, Maine, on Sept. 14, 2007, in a farm house with two centuries of history.

Senior Fire Investigator Daniel Young (State Fire Marshal's office) reports the fire cause was heat guns used by painters to remove paint.

“It ignited some paper in the eaves in the back side of the house,” said Young. "The fire went through the wall into the attic, and some combustibles were ignited, and the fire spread down one wall between two studs." (as reported in The Lincoln County News, see the whole story with photos here:

http://www.mainelincolncountynews.com/index.cfm?ID=27549 )


It's always a shame when historic buildings catch on fire due to the use of heat guns for paint removal. Especially when there are effective alternatives, such as Steam Paint Removal, that will not catch a building on fire.

Resources:

Get the full report on Steam Paint Removal:
http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/reports/reports.htm#Steam

Learn more on the latest developments in Steam Paint Removal here:
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=133

See video of Steam Paint Removal:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/video/spr-video.htm

Join the discussion on Paint Stripping and House Fires at the Forum:
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482

or at the next live online video conference:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/conf/vidconf.htm

[johnleeke]

Once again, historic house museum fire, this time in Wausau, Wisconsin. Here's the news report, with photos and video:

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080117/WDH0101/801170619/1981

[molsonmutt]

I have been using a heat gun in the past, and for several areas of my current project. I don't understand how these fires are being statred, unless they are holding the heat gun in the same area for far too long, which would burn the surface paint as well. As soon as the paint bubbles, the heat source should keep moving. Am I missing something-20 years of heat gun use, and no fires-or am I just lucky?

[johnleeke]

It may not be just a matter of luck. There is the saying that people create their luck themselves, good luck or bad luck.

One way heat gun building fires start is that the hot air flows into cracks, nooks & crannies, and starts the dry dusty surfaces within to smoldering. It is a very tiny spark that grows to become open flame a few or several hours later.

I know exactly how this works because I, personally, started a building fire in this way. The one thing that can be said about your experience is that you have not started a fire, so far.

There are ways to control this risk, such as removing the part from the building and stripping it in the shop where the situation is more controlled, or using a hot air gun with a controlled heat output, keeping it below 250 degrees, etc.. But the most effective way is simply not using a hot air gun on a building.

[johnleeke]

Video of the Jamaica Plains fire from Chanel 7 news, showing the blaze, the partially stripped porch column and burned off roof:

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO79790/

with reports of $2.5m damage, fire chief says a propane torch ignited wood inside the hollow columns, fire then traveled up into the roof stucture of the porch and main house.

The Jamaica Plains, MA, fire was just down the street from one of my internet video buddy, Steve Garfield, and he provides this video coverage just after the fire:

http://qik.com/video/93578

Also see Steve's Flickr photos, that clearly show the partially stripped porch column and burned off roof:


see more of Steve's photos of the fire:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevegarfield/2549931278/in/photostream/


That's the sixth fire cause by heat paint removal I've heard of this year, and the year is not even half over.

[johnleeke]

Two Victorian homes burn in Oakland, California. The fire was apparently caused by heat guns during paint removal. No one was hurt, damages thought to be $200,000 to 250,000.

Newspaper report:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/04/BAQH11KCU6.DTL

[johnleeke]

Yet another house fire, this time in New Albany, Indiana. The official cause not yet determined, but paint removal with heat guns was underway when the fire started.

Get the news:

http://www.newsandtribune.com/local/local_story_232115526.html

[Lauren]

Fire in Springfield, MA started by Heat Gun

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/painters_heat_gun_blamed_for_s.html

[johnleeke]

Lauren:

It's heartbreaking. I learned about eleven fires started this way just last year. If I heard about that many I bet there were a lot more.

Help spread the word about steam paint removal. Send this link to your local fire chief, building inspector, and painting contractors:

http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=133

[johnleeke]

Yet another, in California:

http://crowncitynews.com/ccnblog/?p=261

sad, sad.