By TIM LATSHAW
OBSERVER Assistant News Editor
No wrecking balls came to the site of the Masonic Temple building Friday, but a slow, meticulous demolition began with the purpose of safely accessing the remaining hotspots within the smoldering ruin.
As work started, state Sen. Cathy Young met with city and county officials across the street at City Hall to receive an update on all that has transpired since the Wednesday fire.
Dunkirk Fire Department Captain Allen Loeb said the Chautauqua County Fire Investigation team concluded Thursday that the cause of the fire was likely an electrical problem originating in the northwest corner of the building, but that more specific circumstances may not be known based on the extent of the damage and the danger the unstable structure places on investigators.
Loeb also provided more information surrounding the firefighting efforts, reporting that the Dunkirk Fire Department had been notified of the fire at 5:16 p.m. Wednesday through an automatic alarm in the building. Responders initially discovered smoke inside the building and evacuated occupants - namely the Dynamics Unlimited gymnastics class, whose numbers were revised by Loeb to consist of 32 students and four adults.
As a search of the building was performed for other potential occupants, crews began attacking the fire initially found on the first and second floors from inside, via the main entrance and central stairway. A second search of the building was made before the fire extended to all floors and threatened the roof support system, prompting the firefighters to evacuate themselves about 35 minutes into the response.
At that time, according to Loeb, protection of the surrounding buildings became a priority.
"At the height of the incident, I felt that not only adjoining buildings were in jeopardy, but also the buildings on the other side of Central Avenue," Loeb said. "You can see the architecture of the neighborhood to our west. The winds were light, but pushing flames and embers somewhat to the southwest. Churches and wood structures in the Second Ward were in danger."
A total of 15 fire departments were deployed to the scene with about 25 pieces of equipment, including four aerial trucks.
About 7,000 gallons of water per minute were said to have been unleashed upon the fire during the height of activity, more than the maximum 5,500 gallons per minute Water Treatment Plant Chief Operator Gerald Falco said the city was capable of supplying. Help came from the village of Fredonia around 8 p.m., adding 300-400 more gallons per minute, but it was still not enough. Close management of the system and the decision to run a line into Lake Erie kept the city's water supply from becoming fully depleted.
"I told (Chautauqua County Emergency Services Director Julius Leone) we're not going to be able to sustain that flow so that's when we went into the lake," Falco said.
The courtyard beside City Hall and Central Avenue Station have been reopened, but Police Chief David Ortolano said the area surrounding the site of the fire will remain closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic until the danger of building collapse has been nullified, a process that may take one week or longer.
"What we're hoping is, as soon as the contractor gets to the point where they get the existing walls down that are a danger - of the Masonic building - to a point where it is acceptable and has no danger of collapse or creating a problem, then we can open up Central Avenue."
Department of Planning and Development Director Kory Ahlstrom said that businesses within the currently restricted area are encouraged to call his office at 366-9876 to be placed on a contact list for earliest notification as to when they can return to their buildings.
The Graf building, aka the North County Office Building, has suffered only smoke and water damage and has been considered structurally sound. The One Liberty Square building, however, is still considered in unsafe shape according to owner Dan Reininga, who said he has witnessed warped supports and large piles of fallen bricks.
"I walked in there at the advice not to by others, went upstairs, took a look at it and basically the wall from the Masonic building collapsed on the structure. When it hit the back roof, it created a tremendous down pressure and it blew out the back wall on the second floor. I don't think there's any kind of interior wall that is normal in that section of the building."
The Graf building remains unusable at this point, but County Executive Greg Edwards said more than 90 percent of displaced employees have been relocated to offices either in Jamestown, Mayville or the Dunkirk area. The exception remains with county health workers, who need specialized space, but two sites were under review. Recovery efforts will begin when possible within the Graf building, not only of records but of items workers had left behind.
"Our office space is really our tether between our personal lives at home and the work we do and the people we work with as part of our jobs," Edwards said. "Folks - myself included - bring personal items in and things of importance to us. I've been working with staff on that and, as I told them, I will be directing the recovery efforts to be as focused on retrieving county property as they are on securing and treating personal property, so we'll do the best job we can for the people we work with every day."
Sen. Young listened quietly to all of the reports, then expressed her gratitude to everyone who has been part of the firefighting and recovery efforts.
"I know that the people of Dunkirk have a deep sense of loss over this fire because the Masonic building is such an important part of our history and our heritage; people grew up with it," she said. "It's provided lots of services over the years, between the offices that were located there and also it's part of our economic development because this leaves a gaping hole on Central Avenue."
The senator and others present also reiterated their thankfulness that no casualties resulted from the fire and for the support from community individuals and businesses for relocating workers, quickly transferring services and providing support to the firefighters through the long ordeal.
"When I got back to the fire station, there were literally 400 bologna sandwiches sitting on the table and 20 pizzas," Loeb said. "I've never seen that. And when something like (the fire) happened - I'm trying not to get emotional - the city saw what workers were trying to accomplish and knew that we were going to go without sleep, without food and they literally took care of us. And they continue to do that today."
Demolition of the Masonic Temple building is being conducted by Empire Building Diagnostics, Inc.
Comments on this article may be sent to tlatshaw@observrtoday.com
