Investigators with the state fire marshal�s office have ruled Thursday evening�s two-alarm fire at Ineeda Cleaners on Thursday an accidental electrical fire.



Hutchinson Fire Department Chief Kim Forbes said investigators arrived on the scene at 1224 N. Main St. early Friday morning to determine the cause.



Officials said the fire appears to have started around an evaporator unit toward the rear of the store. Damage is estimated at $150,000, but it could be more, depending on clothing damage.



The 13,500-square-foot property was built in 1958 and is valued at $93,820.



Unique situation



A typical response to a structure fire brings 12 to 14 firefighters with two truck companies and three engine companies, Forbes said. A second alarm, he said, while rare for Hutchinson, brings in additional support including more engine companies, off-duty firefighters and other support to protect the city should another emergency arise.



�It maybe occurs every two years or so,� said Forbes. �It�s just one of those things that happen. It�s not really a surprise; however, it is unfortunate.�



Firefighters arrived at the business around 6:30 p.m. to flames sprouting out the back portion of the building�s roof.



Almost 90 percent of the fire was controlled in 45 minutes, Forbes said. Crews worked for another hour or more to tend to concealed pocket areas of the back building, created through renovations over the years. The back portion was at one time a separate building.



�The wood frame created void areas and a metal surface over that frame created hidden fires in concealed areas after we pulled back the metal roof,� Forbes said. �The fire burned long enough that it created bad structure support. We had to work from the bottom and side.�



Renovations actually created three separate roof structures within the building itself.



These pocket areas were problematic, Forbes said, as it was impossible to put out the flames in them all at once.



�It became a matter of �how do we extinguish this safely?� � he said.



The fire department couldn�t put many firefighters on the roof, Forbes said, because there was a possibility of collapse due to the softening of the roof caused by the interior fire.



Also, the positioning of a utility line on Main Street created issues for a second ladder truck to get positioned. Firefighters eventually positioned the second truck underneath the line to use as a water tower dousing the fire.



However, said Forbes, because the building was unoccupied some of the urgency to put out the fire lessened. He said they would have taken more risks, such as through a search-and-rescue effort, had the building been occupied.



�It�s time-consuming and labor-intensive,� he said. �Luckily we read the building right and were able to use time to our advantage.�



Overall, said Forbes, he was pleased with his department�s response time.



�We had people in key positions that allowed us to contain the fire,� he said.



Responders then worked overnight to clean the area.



Moving forward



The Main Street location was where most of Ineeda�s operations were processed.



Owners Chris and Rachel Nelson said the drop-off and pickup in McPherson, Lyons, Sterling and Larned will be temporarily suspended until production plans are clearly established.



�A fire wall prevented the fire from reaching the garments and items that had been processed, but they did sustain smoke damage,� Rachel Nelson stated in a release. �We believe that those items can be cleaned and fully restored.�



The Nelsons released options to customers who dropped off clothes at the business before the fire.



Customers with an immediate need for an item and who can�t wait for it to be cleaned, are asked to fill out a claim form attached to the business�s Facebook page. Ineeda said the company will reimburse customers for each garment�s value. Ineeda will process those claims beginning Monday.



If customers choose to be reimbursed financially, Ineeda will consider the claim fulfilled and donate the items that are successfully cleaned to a local nonprofit.



Customers who wait until garments are cleaned and feel the result is unsatisfactory, may also receive a refund at the replacement value of the garment(s).



Those with a unique situation that can�t be resolved by the previous options, are asked to call Ineeda at (620) 662-0529 or (620) 662-9101.