September 27, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Golf cart said to be blame for Beaird fire

Shreveport fire investigators have determined that the origin of a building fire last night at Beaird Industries Inc., 601 Benton Kelly Drive, was a golf cart parked inside the structure.

Investigator Russell Moon said that a probable short from the electric powered cart started the fire. Shreveport firefighters responded to the report of heavy smoke coming from the building, located in the far southeast corner of the sprawling South Shreveport complex, at 6:34 p.m.

When fire crews arrived on the scene, fire was visible from the north and west sides of the steel, metal, and fiberglass structure. Extinguishing efforts lasted almost an hour before officials listed the fire as under control at 7:30 p.m.

The building, subdivided into four sections, was used as a forklift maintenance facility as well as storage. Firefighters used caution in battling the blaze as some flammable liquids, such as gasoline and motor oil, and hazardous materials, such as ether and acetylene, were inside the building at the time of the fire. Fire damage was confined to the structures two most north subsections, while smoke damage was apparent throughout the entire building. ###