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Terryville FD-Fire at Lawrence Aviation

February 12, 1979. Approximately 260 firefighters from Kings Park to Manorville were called to assist the Terryville Fire Department with a structure fire at Lawrence Aviation. The fire was reported at approximately 1630 hours and is believed to have started in debris near the shipping office area. The fire extended to other parts of the building. A garbage truck parked at the loading dock also burned. The OIC was Terryville 30 Joe Kelly. More than 55 pieces of apparatus respond to the scene. As there was only one hydrant on the property, 15,000 feet of hose had to be laid from hydrants outside the property. It took five hours to bring the fire under control. Train service along the Port Jefferson line had to be suspended as lines were stretched down the tracks. Lawrence Aviation suppied parts to airplane manufacturers with titanium sheet metal and other parts, so toxic chemicals like nitric acid and magnesium and regularly stored and used there. The shipping area was the hardest hit within the 600X365 foot building. Damage extimates were placed at between 3-5 million dollars. Temps at the time of the fire were around 10 degrees and snow was falling. The fire was not considered suspicious. Fire News Page 2 2-21-1979

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