Historic buildings pose unique challenges for firefighters

From stately Victorian homes to classic brick storefronts, Cape Girardeau is rich with tangible links to the past.

Protecting the city's architectural legacy, however, is more science than art or history.

Several weeks ago, firefighters closed a side street and reduced Broadway to one lane for about 30 minutes as they investigated a report of smoke at a business in the area.

The problem turned out to be a minor electrical issue, and the building was unharmed. But the three-story structure's age, design and proximity to other buildings raised special concerns for firefighters checking out the situation.

"The older buildings scare you just a little bit because of the building construction itself and how well they've been maintained," said battalion chief Mike Ramsey of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. "If it has poor maintenance, that's going to affect how well it's going to hold up in fire conditions."

A long-shuttered building may turn into an elegant storage unit for flammable materials. A leaky window may let water into an aging electrical system. Or the building design may cause the structure to burn faster, Ramsey said.

A vulnerable building design

For instance, before 1940, builders often used "balloon-frame" construction, he said.

A balloon-frame building is constructed with wall studs that run the full height of the structure, from basement to attic, Ramsey said.

"Back then, that was considered lightweight construction. ... It was kind of a derisive term, as far as, 'It's so light, it's going to float away,'" he said.

In a balloon-frame structure, fire can break out in the basement and race all the way up the walls before anyone inside notices, Ramsey said.

"What happens is the walls act like chimneys, and they just suck the air in the frames to the top of the building," said Steven Hoffman, coordinator of Southeast Missouri State University's historic preservation program.

Property owners can install insulation or fire stops -- horizontal boards between studs -- to reduce the chimney effect, Hoffman said.

In business districts, brick buildings are more common than frame structures, Hoffman said.

Many commercial buildings have floors built on joists with fire cuts -- notches that let the ends of the joists burn quickly, causing floors to collapse more readily during a fire, Ramsey said.

"Business owners started doing that because they could go back and rebuild a lot cheaper" after a fire, he said.

The trade-off, Ramsey said, is a more dangerous situation for anyone who might be inside.

Proximity poses additional challenges in commercial areas, both in terms of extinguishing a fire and keeping it from spreading to surrounding structures, he said.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department bought a special 50-foot ladder, called a Bangor ladder, to give firefighters easier access to the backs of buildings, Ramsey said.

Hoffman said basic maintenance can help keep fires from starting in the first place.

"I think a lot of it is just stuff that anybody can and should be doing in terms of building maintenance," he said.

When historic preservation efforts go beyond routine maintenance, it's wise -- and usually mandatory -- to seek permits and submit drawings to the fire marshal and other officials to approve, Ramsey and Hoffman said.

"Part of the process of rehabilitation and adaptive use is to put them back into use in a way that works for today's uses," Hoffman said.

For instance, a business owner converting a storefront to a restaurant may need to add a sprinkler system and ensure the building has adequate escape routes for diners in the event of an emergency, he said.

Electrical systems also may need an upgrade to make sure they can support the demands of the new use, Ramsey said.

"Has the electrical [system] been updated? Has it been fully updated?" he said.

Mixing old and new construction techniques can compromise a building's fire resistance, Ramsey said, and alterations to the floor plan can create surprises for firefighters.

"You're expecting the building to be built in a certain manner based on how it looks from the outside," he said.

Hoffman said Cape Girardeau is home to hundreds of historic structures.

"I would be confident to say there are hundreds of buildings that are historic construction," he said. "There are probably thousands if you include houses."

Teamwork helps keep those buildings safe and useful, Hoffman said.

"We have our best successes when preservationists and building owners and public safety people are working together, focusing on the goal," he said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO