LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) — A lightning strike sparked a hidden fire inside a Long Beach apartment building early Wednesday morning, and firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to find it before it could spread.
A powerful lightning storm moved across the Mississippi Gulf Coast early Wednesday, sparking fires at several structures, including Hampton House Apartments in Long Beach.
“It was around 2 a.m., they got there and found four apartments with smoke in it,” said Chase Hendry, Long Beach Fire Training Officer.
Crews could not see where the fire was burning.
“We knew there was some type of fire burning because there was smoke. We just couldn’t find it because it wasn’t visible. So, we had to use these tools. It allowed them to find it,” Hendry said.
Cameras detect hidden hot spot
The cameras detect heat that might not be visible to the eye. In this case, the cameras led crews to a hot spot hidden behind a wall near a dryer vent. Once they knew where to look, firefighters opened up that specific area and extinguished the fire.
Hendry said without the cameras, crews would have spent valuable time searching, potentially allowing the fire to spread and cause more damage as they tried to find it.
“Last year, the same apartment complex, we had one burned completely to the ground. So, this could have been another situation,” Hendry said.
Only two apartments sustained damage during the response.
“I was very proud of the guys. They did exactly what they needed to do. They employed their tactics and training to the T,” Hendry said.
Management credits fire department response
Management at Hampton House Apartments said the fire department responded quickly and professionally, containing the flames to only a small area with minimal damage. All residents are safe and no one needed to be displaced.
Long Beach firefighters have used thermal imaging cameras for years, but officials say the technology continues to evolve, becoming smaller, lighter and smarter. The department now has a camera on each firefighter’s air pack, giving crews another tool to locate hidden fires faster while limiting unnecessary property damage.
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