The Beecher Fire Protection District, part of MABAS Division 27, provided mutual aid to a severe fire in Lowell, Indiana last week. According to Beecher Fire Chief Dave Lagesse, Beecher Truck 405, a 2006 Pierce Enforcer equipped with a 75-foot aluminum ladder, pumped over 640,000 gallons of water during a 10-hour operation at the scene. The fire broke out on Thursday, August 10, at the former Rieter Automotive building located at 101 W. Oakley Avenue. As reported by *The Northwest Indiana Times*, a construction company working inside the abandoned facility accidentally caused a major blaze shortly before noon on Wednesday.
Jimmy Harper, a project manager for BRT Indiana LLC, explained that crews were moving equipment and cutting beams when an unknown material ignited. He was inside the building with 11 other workers when the fire started. Harper noted that the sprinkler system had been turned off, and the crew couldn’t contain the flames using fire extinguishers. The incident led to a four-alarm fire, requiring significant resources from multiple departments.
Chief Lagesse shared several striking photos of Beecher Truck 405 in action, though he couldn’t identify the photographer. We’re reaching out to see if anyone can help us credit the photographer. You can read the full story [here](#), watch a YouTube video [here](#), and find more coverage [here](#).
The images captured the intense efforts of firefighters, including two elevated master streams working simultaneously at the site. One photo shows a firefighter resting at the tip of the ladder, directing water onto the massive fire. Another image highlights the dramatic scale of the blaze as it burned through the roof of the former automotive facility. A fireball appears to erupt near a firefighter operating the stream, emphasizing the danger involved. Throughout the operation, firefighters continuously adjusted their tactics as the fire’s behavior changed.
Beecher Truck 405 remained on the scene for 10 hours, demonstrating the endurance and dedication of the responding crews. These images serve as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by first responders during large-scale incidents.
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