Millions in damage avoided in Coon Rapids thanks to forward thinking: "This was a save"
COON RAPIDS, Minn. — For Todd Williams, it was perhaps a moment of vindication — or at least, confirmation, that city buildings are safe and secure.
It started with an emergency alert to firefighters in the early morning of July 8. Crews were dispatched to a fire at Sand Creek Park. When they got there, the fire was already out.
"This was a save," Williams said. "This saved the city probably over $1.5 million."
The "save" came thanks to a trio of fire sprinklers installed along the park's main building. Fire crews later learned the fire started when a group threw away firework remains in a trash can next to a concession stand. The embers, still hot, smoldered for more than a half hour before eventually catching the liner of the trash on fire. From there, the size of the flames doubled nearly every minute.
"This building would have been probably not to the ground (without the sprinklers), but it would have been destroyed to where they would have to remove the whole building to remove it," Williams said.
Williams says he's hopeful this incident can serve as a reminder that fireworks aren't safe to throw away. Instead, he recommends you put any remains in a bucket of water to make sure any embers are fully extinguished. He says the city is looking to find the group responsible for the fire — they could face a fine.
The sprinklers will cost just $1,000 each to replace — significantly less than what damage could have happened without them.
"If this building would have burnt down, it would have taken about a year for it to be built back up," Williams said. "On paper, I know (the sprinklers) are going to work, but to actually see the sprinkler head go off and do what it's supposed to, it's great."