Fire Chief: Mechanical Problem Cause Of Cabela’s blaze

Thursday, January 17, 2013

— An outdoor fire scorched pavement, a lamp post and four utility vehicles parked outside Cabela’s on Wednesday.

A mechanical problem with one of the utility vehicles caused the fire just before noon, said Fire Chief Tom Jenkins.

“They drove one of them, and it started smoking about an hour before the call,” Jenkins said.

The smoking vehicle was parked in the middle of others lined up at the northeast corner of Cabela’s 2300 Promenade Blvd. store, Jenkins said.

The burning utility vehicles sent up a lot of black smoke on a highly visible corner, and the department received several calls, Jenkins said. It took four minutes from time of call for firefighters to arrive.

Gasoline tanks in an all-terrain or utility vehicle are more exposed than one on a car, Jenkins said. Firefighters covered the flaming vehicles in foam to put them out.

“It smothers it,” Jenkins said of foam.

The foam lets firefighters use less water, Jenkins said. Four new fire engines paid for through a 2011 bond issue are equipped with two 40-gallon foam tanks. The first of the new trucks arrived this summer and three more are on order, Jenkins said.

An hour after the fire was reported an employee swept debris from the Promenade Boulevard side of the store while shoppers clustered around a boat parked near the front door not distracted by a pair of fire trucks, police cars and fire investigators.

Three of the burnt vehicles appeared to be two-seat utility vehicles and were parked within a foot of each other, their tires melted and metal frames bare. The burned out hull of a four-seat utility vehicle pointed toward Promenade Boulevard a few feet north.

A fire extinguisher flecked with foam sat on the base of a lamp post near a fifth vehicle parked closer to the building that did not catch fire. Another utility vehicle was parked across the drive and didn’t appear to be damaged. Jenkins said he didn’t know if it had been moved during the incident.

The Cabela’s website notes Coleman Outfitter 4x4s are for sale at the Rogers store. Coleman Outfitter 800 and 700 models were parked near Promenade Boulevard. A promotion on the Cabela’s website notes a Coleman 700 utility vehicle and trailer are valued at more than $10,428.

A manager at Cabela’s refused to comment on the fire.