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On Tuesday, June 26, a plume of smoke that could be seen from miles away in every direction billowed up into the skies as Mid State Pipe and Supply burned to the ground in the early heat of the day.
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Pictured above: The aftermath of last Tuesday’s fire at Mid State Pipe and Supply. Photo by Ken Funderburk.
The initial 911 calls began at approximately 12:12 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26, when a plume of smoke that could be seen from miles away in every direction billowed up into the skies in the western part of Globe, as Mid State Pipe and Supply burned to the ground in the early heat of the day.
Over the course of the next two hours, five local fire districts as well as the U.S. Department of Forestry battled to get the flames under control. But in the end, the home of the decades-old local business was lost in the midday sun.
“The employees knew how to react and gathered at a rally point outside the building, so no one was injured,” Tri-Valley Fire Chief Nick Renon said. “But the building is a total loss.”
Tri-City was the lead agency in the response that saw five area fire districts in action, including Globe, Payson, Superior and Tonto Basin.
The Forestry Department monitored the hills surrounding the blaze and put out several spot fires that started as a result of embers blowing from the building.
There were difficulties for firefighters from the beginning, as access to the area was initially limited by onlookers. Additionally, there are only two fire hydrants in the area and there was not adequate water pressure until the Arizona Water Company was able to assist, according to Renon.
At the Tuesday night Globe City Council meeting, Mayor Al Gameros spoke of the fire and the Corso family’s contributions to the community.
Gameros, a Miami native who retired from the Globe Fire Department in February 2016 after serving 29 and one-half years, 18 as chief, added that the fire was difficult to fight, as the nearest fire hydrant only produced about 300 gallons per minute.
“That’s not enough to fight a fire that size,” he said.
Mid-State Pipe and Supply sells plumbing, cooling and industrial supplies and has been in business since the 1950s.
The plume of smoke could be seen for miles around from last week’s fire. Photo by Sherri Davis.
Photo provided
Smoke billows from the fire that took out one of the Copper Corridor’s oldest businesses last Tuesday as Mid State Pipe and Supply burned down in short order. No one was injured in the blaze. Photo courtesy April Martinez.
