Tag Archives: Property Damage

by | December 5, 2012 · 7:34 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: California Restaurant Kitchen Fire Caused By "Commercial Gas Grill" Igniting Wood Inside Wall; Repairs Estimated At $10,000

Restaurant Fire

“…Firefighters were hampered by multiple concealed spaces caused by past remodeling. Firefighters located the seat of the fire in the wall and extinguished it with a small amount of water, but found that the fire had traveled through the wall and in to ceiling spaces between layers of roofing materials above…”

Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a reported structure fire at Pho Thien Long Restaurant, 615 F St. Upon arrival fire personnel were directed to the kitchen area where light smoke was seen coming from a hole in a wall and the wall was extremely hot to the touch. Fire personnel directed restaurant customers and staff to exit the building. Power and gas was secured to the building as firefighters began cutting in to the wall to locate the fire.

Humboldt Bay Fire spent about 90 minutes ensuring that any remaining pockets of fire had been extinguished. The restaurant was turned back over to the business owner. The fire caused about $10,000 damage, and the business will need extensive repairs before it will be able to reopen. The cause of the restaurant fire appeared to be accidental. The fire was caused by heat radiated from a commercial gas grill igniting the wood in the wall.

For more:  http://www.times-standard.com/breakingnews/ci_22121723/updated-pho-thien-long-restaurant-will-need-extensive

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by | December 2, 2012 · 7:15 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Texas Hotel "Stairwell Fire" Forces Evacuation Of Nearly 400 Guests; Building Remains Without Power

“…Dallas Fire Rescue said the fire happened in the south stairwell on the third floor…electricity was shut off Hotel fire and smoke damageand the hotel remains without power…”

Hotel management said 387 people were listed as guests at the time of the fire and everyone evacuated.

A Downtown Dallas hotel fire caused the evacuation of nearly 400 guests on Saturday afternoon.

One person was taken to the hospital for further evaluation of possible burns.  Their name and condition have not been released. Paramedics treated some other people on scene for non-life threatening issues.

As of 5:30 p.m., the fire is extinguished but electricity has been shut off to the hotel.

Management is now allowing all guests to gather their belongings and transfer to another local hotel. Investigators are searching for the hotel fire’s cause.

For more:  http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Hundreds-Evacuated-In-Downtown-Dallas-Hotel-Fire-181695311.html

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by | November 25, 2012 · 5:47 pm

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Kansas Restaurant Fire Starts In Grease Fryers And Spreads To Attic; $150,000 In Structural And Contents Damage

“…The fire started in the grease fryers area, quickly got into the building’s attic area…of the estimated $150,000 loss, $100,000 was structural damage, the other $50,000 with the building’s contents…”

A grease fire Sunday afternoon caused an estimated $150,000 in damage to a Mexican-food restaurant on the city’s west side. Topeka Fire Department crews were sent about 3:15 p.m. to the Taco John’s restaurant, 1015 S.W. Wanamaker, on a report of a fire.

Capt. Greg Degand, acting battalion chief for the Topeka Fire Department, said at the scene that the initial call indicated the fire was under control. Degand, who was first on the scene, said he saw heavy smoke coming out of the Taco John’s flue area as he approached the restaurant.

However, when he entered the building, Degand said he saw flames in the kitchen area extending from the floor to ceiling. Because grease was involved in the fire, crews at first used a dry chemical extinguisher to get the blaze under control.

For more:  http://cjonline.com/news/2012-11-25/taco-johns-fire-causes-150000-damage

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by | November 23, 2012 · 9:08 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: North Carolina Motel Damaged After Meth Lab Explodes Inside Room

Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation donned chemical gear to sift through the rubble of the motel room to determine the cause of the explosion. Investigators said some of the materials used to make methamphetamine are highly flammable.

The front of a Dudley motel blew out early Friday when a methamphetamine lab inside one of the rooms exploded, authorities said. The explosion occurred at about 4:15 a.m. at the Old Goldwater Motel, 3428 U.S. Highway 117 Alternate. The Mar-Mac Fire Department responded to the motel, but authorities said the building sustained little or no fire damage.

Valentine Morales, who lives at the motel with his family, said the explosion awakened him as he slept on a sofa. He said his first thoughts were for his wife and three children sleeping in the next rooms.

Two of the people injured in the blast ran to Jeffrey Aultman’s house nearby for help.

“It scared me. I was getting ready to go out the door, and it was bang, bang, bang, and it shook me up,” Aultman said, noting that he initially thought the men at his door had been in a vehicle wreck.

Two of the injured drove themselves to Wayne Memorial Hospital in Goldsboro, authorities said. Wayne County EMS took two more people to the hospital.

For more: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9255785/

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by | November 19, 2012 · 1:18 pm

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Superstorm Sandy Increases Interest In Commercial Flood Insurance; 40% Of Small Businesses Never Reopen After Water Damage From Disasters

Under the NFIP, non-residential businesses can purchase up to $500,000 in building and $500,000 in content coverage, while residential businesses can purchase up to $250,000 in building and $100,000 in content coverage. Marsh’s Flood Service Center can place up to $30 million in excess of NFIP flood insurance, including business interruption, with A-rated insurance capacity.

According to NFIP, almost 40 percent of small businesses never reopen following a disaster because of water damage. Over the past five years, the average commercial flood claim has been about $75,000.

Interest among businesses in purchasing flood insurance coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is increasing in the wake of Superstorm Sandy’s heavy rain, record storm surge, and resulting widespread flood damage, according to insurance broker Marsh.

Although most companies purchase commercial flood insurance through the private market, more are now inquiring about purchasing additional coverage through the NFIP. When used in tandem, NFIP coverage can mitigate or “buy down” large deductibles associated with commercial flood policies or simply provide additional coverage.

For more:  http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2012/11/18/217658.htm

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by | November 18, 2012 · 7:16 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Indiana Restaurant Suffers "Severe Structural Damage" As Car Crashes Into Dining Room; Customer Hospitalized In Serious Condition

“…the building suffered severe structural damage…the Indianapolis Fire Department’s Structural Collapse Rescue Team was called in to secure the building and prevent it from further collapse…the female customer was taken to (the hospital) in serious condition…”

Wayne Township Fire crews responded to an accident near West Washington Street and Lynhurst Saturday after an SUV crashed into the dining room of a restaurant – pinning a customer between the car and the counter.

A passenger inside the SUV said she and her daughter-in-law, who was driving, were headed east on Washington when a van pulled out in front of them.  She said her daughter-in-law swerved to avoid it, but lost control and crashed into the building.

Mariah Taylor was working at a fast food restaurant next door when she heard the crash, ran over to help along with a co-worker, and saw the woman who was pinned.

The passenger in the SUV suffered only a scratch. She said her daughter-in-law was able to get out of the vehicle on her own.

Wayne Township Fire officials said they haven’t been able to confirm the number of employees in the business at the time of the accident. There were no other injuries reported.

For more:  http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/suv-crashes-into-restaurant

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by | November 8, 2012 · 7:48 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Iowa Restaurant Fire Burns "Undetected For More Than An Hour"; More Than $450,000 In Damage

Fire fighters crawled through the restaurant and extinguished small fires and burning embers throughout the interior…They spent hours on scene dealing with hot spots in the above-ceiling crawl space and attic of the one-story building…the building didn’t have a sprinkler system and damage is estimated at more than $450,000.

A fire in a Des Moines restaurant likely burned for more than an hour before being detected and it took firefighters several more hours to completely extinguish all the hot spots, officials said. Crews responded to Montana Mike’s, 5030 NE 14th St., around 5:10 a.m. Tuesday to find dark gray smoke from floor to ceiling, fire officials said.

Heavy smoke and heat made seeing initially impossible and limited the use of a thermal imaging camera, officials said.

The fire started in the back of the restaurant, near office equipment, storage and laundry machines, authorities said. The cause is still under investigation.

For more:  http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/11/07/fire-burns-undetected-for-an-hour-at-local-restaraunt/article?nclick_check=1

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by | November 1, 2012 · 9:21 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Hotels Suffer Extensive "Water Damage" From Hurricane Sandy, Requiring An "Extraordinarily Complicated Repair Process"

“…when it comes to water damage, trust the experts…hotels in New Orleans made it through Katrina and Gustav with clear emergency plans in place. And where there is water, there’s potential for mold.”

“Mold and water damage may be confounding to many hotel managers because it is not something one customarily knows a lot about,”

Hotels in the affected areas felt Hurricane Sandy’s hardest punch Monday night, but as properties from the East Coast to the Midwest deal with storm damage and after-effects, it’s worth it to revisit safety and security procedures for everything from water damage to dealing with irate guests. Here’s a quick roundup of articles from current sources and Hotel Management’s archives to help navigate the storm:

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
First off, Eblin Group’s Scott Eblin shares the five tips leaders can glean from New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg about crisis communications. The gist: project quiet confidence, be consistent and frequent, be relevant, make specific requests, and put the team front and center.

Next check out “Crisis situations call for clear communication plans” from the Hotel Management archive.

CLEANING UP
Learn from hoteliers who dealt firsthand with Hurricane Katrina; when it comes to water damage, trust the experts. From “Lessons learned in the Big Easy,” (Hotel Management, 2009) see how hotels in New Orleans made it through Katrina and Gustav with clear emergency plans in place.

And where there is water, there’s potential for mold. Check out the EPA’s list of ten things to know about mold here, as well as resources for flooding and mold remediation. (Scroll to the bottom of the article).

It will take some time to assess flood damage following Hurricane Sandy, but one lesson hoteliers have learned over the years is to hire the experts when it comes to mold damage. As Colin Reed, Gaylord Entertainment’s chairman and CEO, said following the extensive Gaylord Opryland flooding in 2010, “flood damage requires an extraordinarily complicated repair process.”

Not only is the repair process something best left to experts, the legal issues also may be too murky to handle on your own. “Mold and water damage may be confounding to many hotel managers because it is not something one customarily knows a lot about,” said Karen Morris, a lawyer specializing in hotel litigation and Hotel Management’s legal columnist. “The good news is that managers do not need to be even semi-experts in this field. Rather, hire an expert and follow his/her advice concerning frequency of inspections, methods of inspection, and necessary clean up.”

So what about insurance claims? Check out Hotel Management archived articles about contingent business interruption coverage and steps for handling an insurance claim.

For more:  http://www.hotelmanagement.net/property-security-and-safety/what-you-need-to-know-about-cleaning-up-after-sandy

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by | October 30, 2012 · 6:12 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Massachusetts Hotel Roof Detaches During Storm Causing Water Damage

“…about 25 percent of the roof had become separated, and he said it is a possibility that more could become detached as the storm progresses…”

Earlier this evening, high winds damaged the membrane roof of the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Middleton and Danvers. Some of the roof started to separate, and the hotel is experiencing water damage as a result.

The Fire Dept. has notified the Middleton building inspector and electrical inspector, as well as the Danvers electrical inspector of the damage.

A few hotel guests staying on the recently renovated 8th floor were moved because of the water damage.

“The hotel staff is working to mitigate any water problems inside the rooms but as far as the actual roof repair that cannot be undertaken until the storm is over,” said Twiss, who said it would be too dangerous at this time.

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by | October 25, 2012 · 6:24 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Iowa Restaurant Kitchen Fire Starts In "Under-The-Counter Appliance"; $40,000 In Structural And Equipment Damage

“…The cause…was believed to derive from a small under-the-counter appliance in the kitchen… total assessed damage is around $40,000, half in structural damage and another $20,000 in restaurant contents, including cooking equipment and televisions…”

A Wednesday morning fire caused an Iowa City late-night Greek-American restaurant to close suddenly. According to Iowa City Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Greer, a small kitchen fire began in Mega Bite at the Towers apartment complex at 335 S. Gilbert St. at approximately 10:08 a.m.

“We’re really grateful the sprinkler system was in place,” Greer said. “It took less than 15 minutes for the fire to be out.”

The building, owned by Michael’s Properties, which owns several other buildings downtown, is worth well over $4 million and the damage was mostly contained to Mega Bite, Greer said.

Minor water and smoke damage resulted in the apartments on the first floor as well.

For more:  http://www.dailyiowan.com/2012/10/25/Metro/30543.html

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