Normally, I like rainbows
Storefronts facing Rt 9
Mi Tierra Mexican restaurant a complete loss
State fire officials on scene
Red Cross on scene
Kung Fu school complete loss
Next door hotel and Stan's Drive In were okay
Hotel was evacuated during the fire
Long closed Stan's Drive In survived just fine
Town of Hadley Ladder truck rains water down
To no avail
6 comments:
Thanks for all the updates, Larry.
No problem.
I could tell from the initial Dispatch that it was going to be bad; but still, I was not quite prepared for how really bad it was.
A list of businesses lost:
(additions and corrections are encouraged)
Mi Tierra restaurant, Wing Wong restaurant, Hadley Coin Op Laundromat, Hadley Dry Cleaners, Asian International Market, Lunar Tattoo/ Mohawk's Revenge. College Pro Computers, Greggory's Pastry Shop, Banh Mi Saigon restaurant, Chinese Kung Fu Washu Academy, Casablanca Halal Market
It's Casablanca I will miss most of all. I heard that the owner(s) also lived somewhere in the complex. Is everyone ok?
Yes. One firefighter was transported from the scene, but is okay.
Federal Pacific electrical panel (breaker box) and/or Aluminum wiring?
Anyone know when that place was (a) built, (b) what it ORIGINALLY was, and (c) when the latest incarnation as strip mall was developed?
I'm speculating here and openly state that -- and the REASON I am is that there is a LOT of aluminum wiring in Amherst --
and it is something for home & business owners to be aware of.
There were a couple years in the early '70s when it was all that electricians could get, and a couple years later it got banned because buildings started burning down because of it. Part of the problem was the fittings (outlets, switches, etc) and a few other things, but it also is problematic enough on its own that small gauge (ie most branch circuits) isn't allowed anymore.
Heavier aluminum is OK and widely used -- your service entrance (street through meter to box) likely is aluminum, as is all the stuff the utilities have strung in our lifetimes. Most of the latter consists of aluminum strands wrapped around a core steel strand for strength as well.
But there is a LOT of aluminum in the walls of Amherst and it is something that people ought to be aware of. And as to Federal Pacific, they're out of business due to a lawsuit and it is generally accepted that their breakers were unsafe. Didn't trip.
I don't want to scare anyone, but any competent electrician can almost instantly tell you if you have aluminum wiring and even you can look and see if the words "Federal Pacific" are on the breaker box -- although there aare ways to make those ones safe (usually involving Chinese-made replacement breakers, but I digress).
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