Two elevated master streams work at the Rieter Automotive property in Lowell, Indiana on August 10, 2011. Photographer unknown A firefighter from Beecher, IL rests at the tip of Beecher Truck 405's ladder directing water on the massive fire. Photographer unknown Another shot showing Beecher and Lowell Fire Department aerials working. Photographer unknown A fire ball appears to erupt directly beneath the Beecher firefighter working the master stream, although there is quite a bit of space between them. Photographer unknown As the dynamics of the fire change, the firefighter redirects the master stream. Photographer unknown Heavy fire burns through the roof of what was the Rieter Automotive facility in Lowell, Indiana on August 10, 2011. Photographer unknown Beecher Truck 405 was flowing water for 10 hours at the scene in Lowell, Indiana. Photographer unknown Double Cartridge Mechanical Seals Double Cartridge Mechanical Seals Dual Cartridge Seals Mfzjs,Cartridge Slurry Pump Seal,Mfzjs Slurry Pump Seal Sichuan Zhongying Industrial Pump Co., Ltd , https://www.zygyb.com
Beecher works at Lowell Indiana extra alarm 8-10-11
The Beecher Fire Protection District, part of MABAS Division 27, provided mutual aid to an extra alarm fire in Lowell, Indiana, last week. According to Beecher Fire Chief Dave Lagesse, Beecher Truck 405, a 2006 Pierce Enforcer equipped with a 75-foot aluminum ladder, pumped over 640,000 gallons of water during a 10-hour operation at the scene. The fire broke out on August 10th, a week ago Thursday, at the former Rieter Automotive building located at 101 W. Oakley Avenue. As reported by *The Northwest Indiana Times*, a construction company working inside the abandoned facility accidentally sparked a massive blaze just before noon on Wednesday.
Jimmy Harper, a project manager for BRT Indiana LLC, a recycling and sales company, stated that crews were moving equipment and cutting beams when an unidentified material ignited. Harper, who was inside the building with 11 other employees, mentioned that the sprinkler system had been turned off, and the team was unable to control the flames using fire extinguishers. The fire quickly escalated, leading to a full-blown emergency that required multiple fire departments to respond.
For more details, you can read the complete article [here](#). A YouTube video of the incident is available [here](#), and additional coverage can be found [here](#).
Chief Lagesse shared several striking images capturing the intensity of the operation, including scenes of Beecher Truck 405 in action. Unfortunately, he couldn't identify the photographer. If anyone recognizes the photographer, we'd appreciate being contacted so we can properly credit them.
Below are some of the images from the event: