Project trailer went up in flames

[Negligence]

Not tractor-related but farming-related, so close enough.

About a month of welding, wiring, and other work and money went up in flames around 2:30am on Friday. My wife and I woke up to what sounded like a tree falling -- the signature cracking sound -- so I got up and took a look outside to see our four-horse trailer in flames, as high as the machine shed roof beside it.

I ran out and grabbed the hose to keep it from spreading to the machine shed (I didn't know if it had until I got there), and I just did my best to keep it cool on the one side until the fire department arrived. It took them about a half hour to fully extinguish the trailer.

I had been welding on the trailer that night around 6pm. When I was done I flushed the surrounding area good with water and I checked again later around 730 to make sure nothing was happening. There was lots of dry wood on the trailer so I was just being cautious. Evidently I missed something.

The trailer is toast and I lost about $2000 worth of tools: mig welder, air compressor, drills, etc.. The trailer also had all new bushings, electric brakes, drums, rims, and tires. Aside from two tires that burnt through, I am hoping the rest is salvageable; enough to convert this into a farm trailer as long as the frame metal is still good.

I don't know what I've learned from this -- I think I did everything I could have, but lady luck was not on my side that night.

Wife took this while I was behind it trying to keep it from spreading. Notice how close it was to the shed. I was standing it between and it was very, very hot -- I think the only thing that kept me standing there was adrenaline and fear.

Thankfully it didn't spread at all. The side of the shed with the hydro meter is cooked (conduit is burnt and the glass shell over the meter is malformed). Although we lost a lot, we did get very lucky it wasn't worse.

 

[jayste]

Wow! Sorry to hear and see what happened. From one person who can appreciate a good gooseneck horse trailer and fine tools to work with to another those pics about turned my stomach. Were you fixing one up that you had bought used or was it new?

 

[Negligence]

I was bringing it back to 'like new' condition. It was going to be painted this week to be used the next. The hard part isn't the monetary loss because insurance should kick in... it's the fact that I spent so much time working on it.

I'm really hoping I can salvage the frame, axles and wheel assemblies. I won't know until insurance has had their look.

If there's any metal gurus reading this, how much could I expect the metal to have weakened from the fire? The floor boards were not fully burnt so I have an expectation that the frame was not burnt as bad.

 

[Bird]

Wow, that would be a sick feeling, I'm sure.

 

[BigE_]

Wow, good thing you checked on the "tree". Living in a forest, I lose so many trees every year that I would've rolled over and gone back to sleep.

Sorry about your loss. I know the feeling. Looking at it makes you sick all over again. Based on your report, I don't see how there was anything you could've done different. It looks like you took more precautions than most.

I'm sure your efforts with the hose saved your shed, based on the damage done to the meter.

 

[LBrown59]

DANG such luck.
Sorry

Not tractor-related but farming-related, so close enough.

About a month of welding, wiring, and other work and money went up in flames around 2:30am on Friday. My wife and I woke up to what sounded like a tree falling -- the signature cracking sound -- so I got up and took a look outside to see our four-horse trailer in flames, as high as the machine shed roof beside it.
malformed). Although we lost a lot, we did get very lucky it wasn't worse.

 

[LBrown59]

Sorry about your lose. I know the feeling. Looking at it makes you sick all over again. Based on your report,
I don't see how there was anything you could've done different. It looks like you took more precautions than most.

Except to have parked the trailer farther away from the building.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Man that just sucks. Glad it wasn't worse, though.

In LA, Universal Studios backlot has burned down twice, both times from welding incidents, both supposedly supervised by the fire departments. Welds got wood or tar hot. People went home, 3AM it all goes up in smoke.

Carl

 

[tatra805]

sorry for the loss, insurance or not the thought it can happen alone is a nightmare

That makes me wonder again about my indoor welding habit last winter in a cramped workshop full of tools connected to our horse stable full of hay, straw and shavings....

thanks for posting, you got me a wake up call on fire hazards and how unexplainable they happen

 

[wedge40]

I've been to this thread 3 or 4 times. It's kind of like seeing an accident on a highway. Ya just gotta look. Sorry to see your lose.. Hope insurance kicks in and you can get everything replaced. But worst thing that can't be replaced is your time.

Wedge

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your trailer, but thankful that it didn't spread and wasn't allot worse. With dry conditions, a fire could have gone just about anywhere if the wind was right. I'd say that you were very fortunate that it was just the trailer.

I'm not familiar with that type of trailer, so this might sound silly, but what was the source of the fire? I realize that the decking is wood, and it makes sense that it would burn, but then what else would burn? If the deck is on fire, I would imagine that you'd have to replace the boards and maybe clean up the mess, but I wouldn't imagine that it would have been such a hot or big of a fire.

Was the paint on the trailer the caught on fire and makes it look like the entire trailer was on fire? Did the metal warp or melt? Is it just surface damage?

Thanks for posting and reminding us how easy it is for something like this to happen. I do my own welding and repairs, so it could easily happen to me someday. Now I'm going to be that much more careful.

Eddie

 

[GaryBDavis]

Sorry to hear of your loss. While you could have been more lucky and caught it before it did that much damage, it could have also been much worse.

I had something similar happen to me. I purchased a used Ingersol-Rand air compressor. This is the big 175cfm rotary screw unit that you see used on construction sites with jackhammers, etc. It's mounted on it's own trailer frame with an enclosed shell. Anyway, I had used the cutting torch to remove some tabs welded to the trailer tounge. A stray spark went through one of the holes in the sheet metal covering where the piping comes out. It set the sound/heat insulation on fire. This is the stuff that is glued to the inside of the sheet metal. Fortunately, I turned around to look at it before going into the house. I could see smoke coming out of enclosure. That's when you are thankful you spent that $50 on an industrial size fire extenguisher. I got it out before it burned too much up, but it could have really gone up when it got to the 30 gallon diesel tank.

 

[cityfarma]

It is not just welding that can cause these fires. I had an incident that thankfully was minor but could have been worse.

While using the angle grinder in the shed, I smelt a faint burning smell. Only faint but could see no sign of what. So I kept going. Then I saw a little smoke. The grindings had landed on a piece of dirty rag a little way off. I fortunately got it in time but it was enough to remind me to take more care.

Cityfarma

 

[have_blue]

WOW. Makes my "bad luck" look like good luck! I guess you got some sparks in a pile of sawdust or something.

A fire that hot will definitely anneal the metal, making it bend easier. On the positive side, annealed metal won't crack any easier than new metal. In fact, it may make the welds more crack resistant. If your trailer was over built, it may be OK. If it was built "on the edge" with high strength tubing, it probably isn't worth saving for over-the-road use. Be sure to check for frame warping before you attempt to do any re-building. Large frame members car twist a lot when they get hot.

If the axles, springs, wheel bearings, races, brakes, cables/lines got real hot, they will definitely have to be replaced.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your insurance/salvage attempts.

 

[tugboat-2]

WOW Negligence!! Doesn't sound like you're guilty of your name at all. But Boy Oh Boy,...talk about "Luck",...good and bad,..but thank goodness you can lay claim to more "good" than bad I'd say. Yes it certainly could have been a whole lot worse!

With that sort of "job", there are always, plans, hopes and dreams that go with all the time, sweat, scrapes, minor burns, cuts, bruises and a whole lot of hard labour. Such a painful shame to watch it all go up in flames and smoke,....not much to show for it all. My sincere sympathies for your various losses.

At least you still have the "horse to get back on"!! So get on and ride,..with very best wishes from just a little further west!

AND,.... no matter how you look at it,...life is good, count your Blessings!!
. . tug

PS: EDDIE:,..horse trailers are often built "similar" to a house, inside. You know,..framed with 2x2 studs and sheeted in or lined (cushioned) with heavy plywood as well as the floor etc, so once it started, there is plenty of "dry" fuel to feed it. *(Negligence will correct me ?)

 

[Negligence]

Well I dissassembled the trailer this weekend down to the frame and had a good look at what I had left.

The good news: brakes, drums, and rims are still good as new. The wood decking insulated the frame from a lot of heat... even the wiring below is intact. I also salvaged a lot of metal to use in other projects.

The frame looks good. Structurally, it is a lot weaker now without the walls and roof so I need to add some bracing to prevent twisting.

The bad news: there is a slight sag in the middle of the frame. I'm not sure if this is because of the fire or due to age (20 years old), but adding some braces will help with sag. I could also move the axles farther up, too.

Eddie: there was lots of dry plywood in there. That is what caught fire I'm sure. But even the rubber flooring, fiberglass roof, etc., cooked. It was one hot fire.