Fire Guts Truck in Big O Tire Store Garage, New Sprinklers and Fast Work By Firefighters Keep Damages at Bay

Update: April 25, 2012

According to Big O store manager Ivan Schuplinsky the fire that destroyed a truck Tuesday night didn't affect business Wednesday morning.  "We got very, very lucky," said Schuplinsky who noted that the state of the art sprinkler system contained the fire without damaging computerized equipment while firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and cleared smoke from the building.

Schuplinsky believes the fire was started in the electrical system of a pickup truck owned by the business.  The Benicia Fire Department estimated damages at $14,000.

April 24, 2012

It was déjà vu time at the in Benicia Tuesday night, April 24 when a truck parked in the work area of the store caught on fire and set off alarms and the sprinkler system. 

Benicia firefighters arrived on the scene at 9:10 p.m. and had to use a large handheld saw to cut through a metal roll-up door in order to gain access to the building.  Visibility was limited because of the large amount of smoke in the building so firefighters used infrared cameras to determine where the fire was burning once they had gained access to the shop area.

“It was a very uneasy feeling,” said who was the first person to enter the smoke filled building.

Smoke was escaping under the roll-up doors and water from the sprinkler system was clearly visible running across the parking lot and into the street before firefighters were able to enter the building and put water directly on a pickup truck that was burning inside the work area.

Firefighters from both Benicia Fire Stations 11 and 12 and Vallejo were on the scene before the fire was completely extinguished.

“We have a two story commercial structure containing tires and auto repair chemicals that could have led to a significant fire,” said Division Chief Nicholas Thomas of the Benicia Fire Department explaining why so many firefighters were called to the scene of the two alarm fire.

The fire is still under investigation but is believed to have started in the engine compartment of a pickup truck owned by the business.  “It’s an old shuttle van of ours that normally stays outdoors,” said store manager Ivan Schuplinsky.  “They just parked it inside for the night because we had some room.”

Schuplinsky credited the new sprinkler system installed when the business was rebuilt after a fire completely destroyed the previous building on the site.  Big O Tires reopened in 2010 and is credited with

“This place was built with lots of fire alarms,” said Schuplinsky.  “And it looks like the firefighters did an excellent job.   It appears the fire was really confined to one area.”

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