http://www.palmbeachpost...4f1a123408210a200f0.html Leaky hydraulic line likely culprit in fair ride fire
By Andrew Marra, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
The Orbiter ride that erupted in flames at the South Florida Fair Sunday passed a state inspection less than three weeks ago, a state official said.
But the possibility that a leaking hydraulic oil line prompted the blaze had inspectors across the state reexamining a handful of similar rides for defects.
County firefighters used 1,000 gallons of water and five gallons of foam to extinguish the blaze, which occurred about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Officials said leaking oil caught fire on heated parts of the ride.
Although the ride itself was badly scorched, there were no serious injuries.
A 28-year-old woman was treated at Palms West Hospital after getting oil in her eye, and a 9-year-old boy was taken there after banging his forehead, according to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.
Others sustained scrapes and bruises but were treated at the fair.
If a leaking line was to blame, it would be a relatively rare phenomenon, sometimes preventable, sometimes not, said Mike Rinehart, head of the state's inspection bureau in Tallahassee.
"That is unusual," he said. "This is the first time in six years I've heard of this happening."
The Orbiter is a 50-by-50-foot ride with six arms that spin on a central point. At the end of each arm is three cars that also spin. There were about 20 to 25 people riding the Orbiter when the fire occurred, according to one witness. There are about four Orbiter rides in use in the state, Rinehart said.
As the ride traveled the state over the past seven years, inspectors asked the ride's owner to correct various wear-and-tear problems -- from cracked lap bars to missing bolts -- but nothing to suggest a fire hazard, according to an inspection record.
The ride is owned by Lauther Amusements, a subcontractor for Conklin Shows, which runs the fair's midway.
Howard Pringle, Conklin's director of operations, said the operators had been performing daily inspections as the state requires.
Rinehart said even that might not have been enough to spot a problem with an oil line.
"Usually, you can tell when they're worn or they need to be replaced," Rinehart said. "But then they may just go."
It was the fair's second amusement accident this year. A 37-year-old Lantana man broke his arm and wrist on the Doppel Looping roller coaster Jan. 17. A state inspector found nothing wrong with the ride.