Last Updated on February 11, 2022, 9:33 AM | Published: February 10, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — Firefighters and demolition crews are now working together to end an ongoing fire threat that began as a five-alarm fire Tuesday evening on the north side around 6:30 p.m.
Heavy, white smoke continues to rise on the third day (Thursday) from portions of the hulk that was once a five-story, 400,000 square foot luxury apartment complex being built in Oklahoma City limits near N.W. 63rd and Western just south of Nichols Hills.
The Canton at Classen Curve is now being declared a total loss at $65 million.
Wrecking + firefighting
Wednesday and Thursday, large excavators from Midwest Wrecking could be seen systematically removing portions of the complex and then backing off to allow fire crews to pump water onto spots still burning.
Captain Scott Douglas with the Oklahoma City Fire Department told Free Press that there are still active “trapped fires” within the building that their crews cannot get to even from the outside. On the first evening of the fire, crews were pulled out of the interior because the fire was creating structural instability which has only become worse with time.
“Representatives from the development, including a building engineer, have worked with Oklahoma City Fire Department personnel to devise a plan to move forward. The decision was made to utilize a demolition company to begin systematically and methodically dismantling the structure,” read a news release from OKCFD on Wednesday.
Five-alarm fire
The fire was considered a “five-alarm” fire soon after OKCFD were called to the building around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
By the end of the evening around 80 firefighters were tasked to the fire that spread to the roof and then across the whole complex.
OKCFD told Free Press Thursday that firefighters who entered the building were able to eventually find one standpipe that was already functioning, but the rest of the standpipes designed for the building had not been activated yet in the construction schedule.
Fire officials said that their crews were able to string enough hoses to start fighting the fire from the inside but were eventual pulled out because of concerns about structural integrity of the building as the fire spread across the roof.
Because crews battling the fire on the inside were pulled out as the fire progressed, fire investigators were not able to stay in the building because of safety issues as well.
“The extent of fire damage coupled with the inability to make entry and now the demolition has altered the way investigators conduct their investigation. Fire Investigators are on scene as demolition continues to examine building components as they become accessible. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time,” an OKCFD news release said.
Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson told the gathered media Tuesday night that the rubberized material that had been used on the flat roof was burning and difficult to put out somewhat like a car tire would be.
Thursday, Captain Douglas told us that they have since learned that the roof was a multi-layered roof with a film on top of a foam-like insulating material underneath which also burned and was hard to extinguish. He said that the type of roof was called “TPO” roofing.
Even Tuesday night fire officials were estimating that they would be on the scene for several days which they have been.
Free Press will continue to cover this fire and report what fire investigators determine later.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
