Friday, August 12, 2005

Charles V. Tines / The Detroit News Robert Thibodeau, owner of burned-out Mayflower Book Shop, is trying to decide if he can afford the insurance to rebuild.

Lessons learned

Fire victim regrets lack of preventive measures

Experts recommend wireless alarm, digital sprinkler setup to owner of Berkley bookstore.

By Maureen McDonald / Special to The Detroit News

Protect your property • Keep all doorways, aisles and stairwells well marked and free of debris. • Train employees how to use fire extinguishers and keep the devices within 75 feet of any point in your store/office/plant. • Assure all electrical outlets are three-wire grounded. • Extinguish candles that aren't attended. • Use extension cords sparingly. Better to invest in new wiring than overload circuits. • Provide covered metal containers for trash. • Develop a planned maintenance program for air conditioning and heating systems. • Inspect, test and maintain fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, heat and smoke detectors. • Store a duplicate set of all vital records at an off-site location. • Retain documents in a fire-resistant safe or a file cabinet. • Properly store and dispose of hazardous waste. • Unplug all small appliances. Source: Allstate Insurance Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

BERKLEY -- Astrologer Robert Thibodeau enjoys a national following for his consulting services, but he couldn't predict his own business future.

A candle left burning overnight in his Berkley bookstore gutted its contents, prompting him to warn other business people to exercise more caution.

"My fire insurance guy said if you have a thousand fires, you always have the same odds," Thibodeau said while picking up melted CDs and charred books for the Dumpster at his shuttered Mayflower Book Shop.

He has suffered two fires in less than four years. The first time was in 2001 when an individual poured gasoline under the door and applied a match. This time, an employee left a candle burning on the sofa, triggering a blaze April 11.

Thibodeau said the fire was so intense it demolished the inventory, including more than $400,000 in rare books by Plato, Madam Blavatsky and William Butler Yeats.

"Even if you carry the best insurance in the business, you still can't replace the collections you spent a lifetime acquiring," he said.

What could Thibodeau have done to protect his inventory?

Business consultants suggest purchasing more insurance, especially with the spiraling cost of wholesale books.

Paul Bensman, a Southfield retail consultant, advises clients to buy business interruption insurance that compensates them while the store is closed.

Following the first fire, Thibodeau invested in more insurance, upping his coverage for contents to $70,000 from $50,000.

He pared the inventory to $400,000 from over $1 million in books and collectibles accumulated over 30 years.

To reopen, he will need to spend at least $120,000, he estimates.

His first recovery was aided by Gehlek Rimpoche, author of the best-selling "Good Life-Good Death" (Riverhead Trade, $14), and composer Philip Glass, who put on fund-raising performances.

This time, Thibodeau is struggling to find the motivation to raise the necessary cash. "I'm still healing from a devastating experience," he said.

Local fire chiefs and home repair consultants suggest preventive measures.

"The single most effective thing proprietors can do is to install a fire detection system with an alarm that rings at the station," said Peter Kelly, Berkley's fire marshal. He recommends a high-quality wireless alarm.

Glenn Haege, the radio and newspaper home advice specialist, suggests a digital sprinkler system.

While it could soak some contents, it might save the majority of books from smoke and fire damage. Thibodeau couldn't salvage a single book.

Judy Comoletti, spokeswoman for the Boston-based National Fire Protection Association, said her organization is mounting a nationwide campaign to snuff out candles permanently in homes and businesses. Reported home candle fires rose 15 percent from 2000 to 2001, from 15,700 to 18,000, and continue to climb.

Best advice? "Don't burn candles because an open flame is always a risk," Comoletti said.

The association tallies about 5,500 fires a year in businesses, leading to five deaths and 62 civilian injuries.

About 21 percent of the fires are caused by electrical distribution equipment, prompting Comoletti to encourage businesses to upgrade service instead of overloading extension cords.

Thibodeau did not have a thorough information storage and retrieval system to use in re-establishing his collection of spiritual, metaphysical, macrobiotic and philosophy books.

Among his options are rebuilding the store, moving his business to the Internet or consulting with other book sellers to build a more eclectic collection.

What would he change? "I think I need to be a little smarter about money. I'd be a millionaire 10 times over if I watched what I was doing."

Maureen McDonald is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.