Fire in White Label Lube shop

[lar45]

Hi all. We had some excitment here Sunday night.
As the wife said, we take 2 steps forward and 120 steps back. :)
A fire started in our shop-origin unkown, everything had been turned off the whole day as we did yard work instead. The fire spread from one end to the other very fast. From the moment we noticed it, it was already too big and hot for us to do anything, so the wife called 911 as I cut the power to the shop. The rapidly spreading fire was headed towards the side of the shop where we had a 200 gal propane tank, so we gathered up the kids and the dogs and went to the end of the driveway(long driveway-we're scouts so we always had an emergency plan :) . The first responders were on the scene in about 2 mins and the firetrucks started ariving a few minutes after that. I informed every incoming truck about the gun room with the piles of ammo, gunpowder, primers, propane tanks... That's about when the ammo started cooking off.

Long story short, noone was hurt, the shop is a total loss including the gun room. Insurance has already been by, we are covered, now to start the clean up process.
83200
We have lots of premade lube sticks and bottles in the office in the house, so orders will still be going out while we order new supplies and get setup to work out of the barn. We appreciate all of your patience and support in this trying time. If you order something that we can not get out within a couple of days, we let you know and can give anyone a refund that can't wait a few more days.

Now back to the story. Firetruck after Firetruck kept pulling in, setup hoses and had it putout in an unbelievably short amount of time. The fire never made it completly through the gun room and out the side with the large propane tank. The only part of the building still partially standing is the gun room, that's probably because of the 2 layers of sheetrock and insulation? It did get hot enough to melt the glass out of the wooden gun cabinet. I'm guessing that all of those guns would not be safe to fire anymore.
I don't know where to turn to next about all of the guns that were in the safe(not a fire rated safe) Are any of the salvagable or not? The top shelf of the safe had some guns in padded cases and the handles of the cases had started to melt but are still a recognizable pistol rug. All of the exposed guns in the safe are covered with and oily black spoted soot. None of the rubber pistol grips are melted at all. Some of the rifle barrels are rusted completly and others just have rust spots on them.
So where do I turn to to find out or ask if any of the guns in the safe are still safe to shoot or not?

Glenn & Leah Larsen

[novalty]

Glenn & Leah,

Very sorry to hear of the fire damage and loss of personal items. I hope your insurance company is good and tries to help you get made as whole as possible again.

[dg31872]

It may not feel like it, but you were lucky. Guns probably can be fixed or replaced, but people cannot. Think of the positive, the insurance has stepped up, and no one was hurt. It's tough, but it could have been much worse.

[44man]

Sad to hear that Glenn but we are going to stand with you. I can't say about the rusted guns but any that have not had grips or rugs burn will not have the steel getting hot. Products of soot and water can cause rust fast and that will depend on how fast you got the guns cleaned, they might not have gotten hot. If wood or any stock is not burned or melted the steel is OK.
If you are lucky, it is surface rust that will clean off with some solvent and OOOO steel wool.
Get after them quick, insurance money is hard to get for guns.

[41 mag fan]

Oh wow...sorry to hear of your problems and loss Glen. i'm sure there's someone on here that can answer the gun questions.

[swheeler]

Glenn and family, sorry for your loss but glad everyone is safe, that is the most important part. Scot

[Petrol & Powder]

Good people are important, everything else is just stuff. Glad you & family are OK. By the way, ammo cooking off in a fire isn't extremely dangerous UNLESS it's chambered in a firearm. A chambered round that cooks off will discharge the projectile down the barrel just as if you fired the round and that can kill a firefighter or bystander.
As for the damage to your guns, you may have to decide which ones will be economical to re-finish and which ones are just parts. Your policy may have a limit for damage to firearms. If it does, I would suggest you pick which firearms you want the insurance company to cover and don't let them do it for you. You've got a lot on your plate right now, but when you get a chance, read your policy. After you know the terms of your policy, decide how you want to proceed. You will probably be able to claim the guns damaged beyond repair and fix the others later if you wish. My final bit of advice would be to consider the assistance of a lawyer if the insurance company suddenly forgets how to read their own contract with you. A policy is nothing more than a contract - you pay them premiums betting you're going to suffer a loss and they take your money betting they don't have to pay out.

When you get back up and running your customers will still be there. Good Luck.

[Shuz]

Glenn-- Sorry to hear of your misfortune, but as others have said, thankfully no one got hurt.

When you get back up and running your customers will still be there. Good Luck.

[jmort]

"When you get back up and running your customers will still be there"

Yes indeed. 45-45-10 fan/customer

[1Shirt]

Hang tough! Glad nobody was hurt!
1Shirt!

[GLL]

Sad to hear about your loss but good to know the family is okay!
Hopefully you can salvage some of the guns!

Jerry

[Reloader06]

Good to hear everyone's safe. Don't forget the NRA insurance. Please keep us posted.

Matt

[338RemUltraMag]

Wow guys! I am sorry to hear this! Just remember, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other you WILL come out ahead!

[300savage]

not sure if this will help at all but i have a 25_06 that survived a fire. obviously nothng like yours, but the blueing on the barrel is mottled and the stock is red on one side and bleached blonde on the other from the heat. my grandfather gave me that rifle after the fire and i have never owned a better. it shoots way under half inch, and i have used it several times to win the biggest predator hunt in arizona.
i sincerely hope your rifles turn out salvagable and dang sorry for this incovenience in your life.
i am in the process of becoming a new caster so hurry up and get that production back on line.
i am going to be needing you soon.

[ColColt]

My heartfelt condolences about this tragedy. As bad as it was at least the fire didn't get so out of control as to make it to the house. Hopefully, at least some of the guns can be salvaged and used again. It may not be of any help but at least you are still here to inform everyone of this disaster. I hope the insurance will take care of any and all losses and that inspectors will be able to find the source of the fire.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Oh No...
I'm glad everyone is OK, and it sounds like the Fire dept. did a quick and excellent Job. that is fortunate. Sounds like many things are salvagable, Insurance Companies are not fun to deal with, unless you have firearms riders.
good Luck,
Jon

[propwashp47]

I hope you find the origin for the fire.so steps can be taken to avoid a repeat of this fire. my purchase of you lube set me on the path for casting my own boolets. thanks glen, will order more when you are back up and running

[Smoke4320]

at least hit all the guns with a coat of wd40 (inside and out) to stop any more rusting
very sorry to hear about your loss.. I can only hope you come out better in the end

[Reg]

Actually it is the fumes in a fire that do the most damage unless the firearms themself's get too hot or actually burn. The springs are the best indicator. If the springs have lost their temper then for sure the other parts that are normally heat treated have too lost their temper and will require re-heat treatment or replacement. If all springs are still strong and "springy", then other than the finish you should be good to go. If the stocks are charred, even if the springs feel good, get the hardness of the receivers and bolts checked.
Those fumes are extremely corrosive but if you can get right on to things and get the metal soaking in WD-40 or any good cleaner / solvent you might be able to save even the finish.

[GLynn41]

as a fire fighter _I know both sides so sorry but glad it was as it was- thank God- and as a customer I will call again ...btw could you make some of your lube Blue? to me that is so nice on a bullet--errrrr boolit

[groovy mike]

SUX! But glad to hear that you were blessed with safety and insurance! I believe that if you are an NRA member then your firearms are automatically insured up to $2500. It is at least worth a few phone calls to find out for sure.

http://www.locktonrisk.com/nrains/default.htm?utm_source=NRA+Member+Discounts+Pg&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=No+Cost+Activation+Campaign

[Grendel99]

Wow, that sucks. So sorry to hear that, hopefully you can find the source of the fire. As for the guns, I say clean and oil them really well and then take any that you think are suspect to a trusted gunsmith.

[44man]

NO WD 40 PLEASE, it will cause more rust. Use Barricade or oil.

[luky-dude]

Sorry for your lose--But gald everyone is OK--Hope you get things going again, I need that lube.

[felix]

Very TRUE! WD40 displaces water but the final replacement chemical has zero rust protection. Use CRC Power Lube instead of WD40 for the SAME application of water displacement and metal protection. When time and emotion permits, then oil the guns with an intentional rust prevention product. Rust prevention is NOT typically a lubricator! Two different applications. ... felix

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

WD40, besides being a 'ok' lube, It is a great solvent to clean the soot off, but will not protect the metal.
Jon

[Dale in Louisiana]

If the wood's good, the gun's good. If the wood got hot enough to char, then the metal got hot enough to lose temper.

dale in Louisiana

[John Allen]

Glen, sorry to hear this. At least no one was hurt and things are replaceable. Good Luck

[j_dude77]

Leah called me this morning and told me what had happened. I am very sorry to hear about everything. It does sound like you have a stand-up insurance company to work with. Hopefully they process your claim quickly.

[lar45]

I do have 2 2x6 sticks of Commercial 160 Blue if you want them. I also have 3# of 2500+ Green. Other than that it will probably be 2-3 weeks before custom colors will go out again.
We already have some commercial wax melters and supplies on order. I'll clean out the barn to work in for now.

Thanks much for the tips on the guns, I'll get them rust protected right away. And thanks for the reminder about the NRA insurance, I had totally forgotten about it.

[9.3X62AL]

Very sorry to read this, folks. It does sound like you have a plan in mind already and have taken positive steps to put this occurrence behind you. I am thankful that no one was injured, you guys had a GREAT safety plan and it paid off wonderfully. Good on ya.

[Beagle333]

Glad you are all safe. I hope the rebuilding goes well and smoothly..... and I'm still a customer!!! [smilie=s:

[Artful]

Fires are a hugh problem for people, Glad you are all safe, sorry to hear about the damage.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

glad to hear that no one was hurt my wife told me right after we lost our
house and pets in our fire that God only gives us what we can handle
we rebuilt our home

[Mk42gunner]

Actually it is the fumes in a fire that do the most damage unless the firearms themself's get too hot or actually burn. The springs are the best indicator. If the springs have lost their temper then for sure the other parts that are normally heat treated have too lost their temper and will require re-heat treatment or replacement. If all springs are still strong and "springy", then other than the finish you should be good to go. If the stocks are charred, even if the springs feel good, get the hardness of the receivers and bolts checked.
Those fumes are extremely corrosive but if you can get right on to things and get the metal soaking in WD-40 or any good cleaner / solvent you might be able to save even the finish.

I agree with this, especially the part that I bolded.

Glad no one got hurt. Things can be replaced, people can't.

As for cleaning the soot and stuff off, I think a good detail strip and soapy hot water cleaning should work. If you can't get to that right away, I would go to the local NAPA and get a spray can of Kroil or two; then pull the stocks off and douse everything with a good coat of oil.

Robert

[62chevy]

Not coll at all but glad no one got hurt and when I run out of 45/45/10 I'll be calling.

[Vulcan Bob]

Sorry to hear of this, just glad you and yours are safe.

[retread]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune as far as things are concerned but you are blessed that no one was hurt. As stated earlier, NRA members are automatically covered up to $2500. If you belong, give them a shout. Haven't ordered from you yet but I will when you up and running again. Keep us informed.

Jay

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Semper Fi , my friend , stay in touch and let us know what is going on.

[leadman]

As others said glad you and the family are ok. WD40 is about 90% Stoddard Solvent. LPS #2 or #3 work well for getting into all the little places on guns and stopping rust.

[warf73]

Sorry to hear about the fire, I'm glad none of your loved ones where harmed.

Not sure what part of Arkansas your in but if you plan on rebuilding yourself let me know. I'll take a long weekend and head that way and help, was a contract framer and sider back in the late 90's. I could cut out around 8am on a Thursday and need to head back around 6pm on Monday or Tuesday.

Warf

[fcvan]

Glenn, it is good to hear that everyone is okay and there were no injuries to you, your family, and hopefully none of the responders. Stuff is replaceable, repairable, restore-able but people obviously are not. I am truly glad everyone is okay.

I for one am good on my supply of BAC but will gladly order more to help with cash flow by ordering more. I read where you are ordering more melters and setting up shop in the barn temporarily. I know it will take time and money to rebuild and restore things to normal.

Since I do have a good supply of lube I would like to order with the understanding that it might be quite a while before you can fill this order. I would also like to suggest to every Cast Boolit member who has done business with Glenn to pre-order their favorite lube to help get his operation restored quickly and before weather sets in and makes things more difficult.

I would like to order 1 hollow stick of BAC. I will be sending a $25 dollar money order. Keep the change and take your time with filling the order. Frank

[fivegunner]

Glen, Prayers sent for you and your family. after your up and running again I will order some lube. God Bless.

[Pb Burner]

I'm thankful everyone is ok but sorry for your losses. Even if insurance covers all or most losses, it's always a pain to deal with. I hope you can salvage most of the firearms. I've never ordered from you yet, but I will as soon as I get a lubesizer. Best of luck getting back up and running!

[tward]

Sorry about your fire but glad all are ok. God bless and hope you are back on your feet soon! Tim

[gray wolf]

Glad everyone is OK, --Sorry to hear about this.
I hope your up and running soon, bigger and better.

[Ghost101]

Thank God y'all are ok, am sorry for your loss. Diesel fuel is great for unsticking rusted stuff, just let it soak. Great lube is Frog Lube.
Pitting on the outside can be brazed over, can't remember the filler, just been too long. Lite pitting in a bore can be lapped out. I'd start with comet & water, before a lapping compound. Usually won't get rid of heavy pitting but will clean it up. Haven't done any of this stuff for about 30 yrs., but if memory serves me right, that should do it.

[Shiloh]

If the wood's good, the gun's good. If the wood got hot enough to char, then the metal got hot enough to lose temper.

dale in Louisiana

Makes sense. Good advice Dale. ;)

Shiloh

[Petrol & Powder]

Good advice on the NRA insurance. Most homeowners' policies have a cap on firearm losses, generally between $1000.00 and $10,000.00 unless you have a separate rider that covers firearms. Between your homeowners' policy, the NRA insurance and what you can salvage; you may be able to recover a lot of your damaged guns. Hopefully nothing rare or sentimental was lost but even if it was - it's still just stuff!

Glad your family is OK and I look forward to you getting back in business.

[jaysouth]

Glad to know you are OK.

This may work out very well for you in the long run. Your new shop will be laid out to eliminate all those little inefficiencies that you didn't forsee when you built it. Better layout, better utilization of space and think of a shed out back to store your large quantities of most volatile raw materials.

Keep us posted on your progress and post as soon as a quart of 45-45-10 is available to ship.

[MGySgt]

The Lord was on you side as no one was hurt - items can be replaced, You, Leah, and your children can not.

[thebigmac]

Glen; Glad to hear no one was injured, mateial thinge can always be replaced.
Sad thing to hear your guns and equiptment were destroyed. Glad to hear that
no one attempted to enter the shop. Chin up. Better times ae coming...
thebigmac

[David2011]

Glenn,

Sorry to hear about the fire. That has to be a fear in the minds of everyone here considering what we store. Thank God you acted quickly and kept your family and the firefighters safe.

David

[JesterGrin_1]

Very sorry to read of this. But I am very happy that nobody was hurt.

I also think that everyone here should place an order with White Label Lube company as the extra funds might come in handy for them at this time. Plus we all know they have a good product. :)

[dromia]

Sorry to hear about the conflagration, glad you are all safe and sound. My thoughts are with you.

[Lloyd Smale]

dont let anyone tell you that ammo cooking off isnt dangerous. When i lost my barn and all my ammo and loading supplys only one wall was still partialy in tact. The other walls melted. The wall section that was left was full of holes where ammo had cooked off and bullets had blown holes in it. There were empty casings 60 feet away and i even found some on the roof of my house. I still find empty cases in the yard and at the edge of the yard 4 years later. If a bullet from a cooked off round can make it though pole barn steal it will probably penetrate skin. We later did some experimenting and came up with results that are about the oposite of what i would have guessed. We took a 55 gallon drum full of junk and lit it on fire and tossed rounds in it to see what would happen. The safest rounds seemed to be rifle and the big magnums the safest of all. Im no expert but i would guess because of the fact they burn very slow powders. The worse by far were the handgun rounds again due to fast burning powders and the worse offenders were rounds like the 44 mag up to the 500 linebaugh where large quanitys of fast burning powders combine with heavy crimps. They would about blow through the barrel a 100 percent of the time and the linebaughs really made some noise when they cooked off compared to the kind of fizz sound you hear from rifle rounds. I actually found some rifle rounds after the fire that hadnt even cooked off. For some odd reason a good percentage of them were wolf 762x39s. They had gotten hot enough as the steal cases were nothing but rust. When i built my new barn i put a dedicated reloading/gun room in it and poured 8 inch solid concreat walls. My thought were if there ever was another fire at least the firefighters would be safe and it might help contain the fire so that i wouldnt loose everything again. My barn went fast. I was only gone for about 45 mintutes and it was burned to the ground when i got back. My wife and neigbor was there and they both said it sounded like the forth of july. So much ammo was in there cooking off at the same time that it sounded about like bombs going off. I dont know how much ammo was in there but it was a bunch. I know i had at least 10k of 223 and probably close to the same of 308 and 10s of thousands of handgun rounds and bolt action deer hunting type rounds.

[evan price]

Lars, glad you and family are OK. Stuff can be replacd.
Darn, it even got your tractor, but maybe that can be salvaged, looks like it wasn't too bad and I've seen those Diesels take incredible abuse and get burnt up in the field and still come out OK with some parts replacement.
That's why we have insurance. Praise God for no injury!

[masscaster]

Glad to hear your all okay!!
Good Luck in your recovery, and safe keeping.

Jeff

[Low Budget Shooter]

Lars, I'm thankful that in God's providence you and your family are safe, and even your house and barn were not damaged. I appreciate your red lube and good service so much that I'll be a customer for life. Jeff

[Leadmelter]

Let all of us know of your progress in restoring your business. Your lube is great. I hope you get up and running soon.
Leadmelter
MI

[huntrick64]

I hope everything is progressing as it should with your insurance claim. Usually, there is a limitation on firearms coverage on your homeowners policy, but that usually only pertains to THEFT not FIRE. I am an agent in Oklahoma and I don't think Arkansas policies are that much different, but verify with your agent. I am thinking that as long as the firearms are not part of a "home based" business, your policy should provide coverage for what you can prove you had lost in the fire. That is usually pretty easy since the metal is left following a fire. I helped a friend of mine once whose house burned to the ground. The insurance company covered the guns and actually gave him the remains since there was no salvage value. Some of them were "family" guns so he cleaned them up the best he could, put some new wood on them, hangs on to them for sentimental reasons and doesn't fire them.

If you want some help with the insurance stuff, I'm available just PM me.

God is always with you and your family,

Rick

[Olevern]

Sorry to hear of your loss. One suggestion; hire an independent adjuster. Insurance companies will low ball you; they are about paying the least they can so avoid having your loss being their gain.

[pakmc]

I've got my first batch of white lube (the light stuff and the heavy stuff) just a little while back and I really like this lube! I"m so sorry to hear of your lose, but about the time you get back up and running I'll be needing a new can of each. yes, first customer but not last. I'll be back and I hope and pray you and yours get every thing back up and running.
)Pat

[Just Duke]

<sad face>
You have a PM sir.

[Lance Boyle]

I'm sorry for your troubles. May the rain turn to rainbows.

[Reloader06]

Glen,

Placed a small order today. Hope it helps a little with the cash flow.

Matt