Indian Motorcycle Factory Catches Fire

Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA (April 12, 2019) BSB — Spirit Lake Fire Chief Patrick Daly said crews responding to a Wednesday morning fire at the Polaris Indian Motorcycle factory were immediately confronted with heavy smoke, but the actual fire was relatively minimal.

Firefighters were paged at around 10:15 a.m. the chief said, and entered the building soon after arriving.

"At that time, we called in Arnolds Park/Okoboji, because we knew we needed more manpower and more (self contained breathing apparatuses) to get into the smoke," Daly said. "The building's so big, and you only have so much air. They came up to help us, and we finally got to the source of the fire."

He said crews typically send firefighters in to situations in pairs, with another pair waiting outside in case something should go wrong. Wednesday's operation was large enough that Daly called the AP/O Fire Department for mutual aid and additional manpower. The fire chief said the flames were largely contained to the paint booth area of the motorcycle manufacturer's plant.

The paint booth was being removed and the process sparked the fire as work was being done on the chimney section.

"This morning, a minor fire occurred in a vacant section of our Spirit Lake facility," Polaris spokesperson Jess Rogers said, thanking the Spirit Lake Fire Department for its fast response. "The facility was evacuated. There are no injuries to report, and the facility will resume normal operations tomorrow."

Spirit Lake firefighters responded to a fire at the Polaris manufacturing plant in Spirit Lake Wednesday afternoon. The crews called for mutual aid from Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire and Rescue, due to heavy smoke and the size of the facility. Photos by Seth Boyes

Daly went on to say the fire spread into the styrofoam insulation in the facility's roof, and firefighters ultimately cut a hole in the roof to stop the damage from spreading.

"Once we got the styrofoam out, we could start venting the building," Daly said. "Actually, we had a really good breeze coming through there, so it was natural ventilation. Once we got in there, we could get right to the machine."

The paint booth's own fire suppression systems were triggered, according to Daly, but couldn't stop all of the flames.

"They had sprinkler system in there, but it didn't get up through the styrofoam where we were at," he said. "It put the fire out that was down below. It just made so much smoke you couldn't see anything."

Firefighters cut a hole in the facility's roof. Fire Chief Patrick Daly said the morning's gusty winds helped ventilate the smoke. Photo by Mike Ehret - Dickinson County Emergency Management

Daly said Dickinson County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Ehret assisted on scene with the county's drone, which was fitted with an infrared camera. Ehret was able to provide firefighters with photos of the roof as they attacked the fire. Crews had the fire under control at around 1:30 p.m., according to Daly.

"Polaris' evacuation system worked very well. Everybody was out of the building when we got there," he said. As of Wednesday afternoon, Daly said Polaris' maintenance staff was still ventilating the building.

"It's pretty clear," Daly said. "But you can still smell it in there, so they want to make sure that's all out of there before they send their crews back in to work."

SOURCE: Dickson County News

American Dresser: A new film about the passion of two wheels

Pacific Northwest, USA (September 28, 2018) BSB — Carmine Cangialosi didn't set out to make a motorcycle film when he began writing the script for American Dresser. The actor-turned-screenwriter/director and lifelong motorcyclist said he set out to make a, "modern western," and chose to incorporate his familiarity with the motorcycling lifestyle into the project.

Poster of the new film called American Dresser staring Tom Berenger

"You can't write a western movie about the horses," he said.

The film's story line focuses on lead actor Tom Berenger's character, John Moore, as he embarks on a cross-country motorcycle trip to cope with the recent death of his wife, as well as confront a decades-old family secret.

Official Movie Trailer of American Dresser

Cangialosi hopes his first film project featuring motorcycles will resonate with riders and non-riders, alike. His father is a veteran and a motorcycle rider, much like the main character in the film. While he rode dirt bikes in his youth, the younger Cangialosi's acting schedule did not allow him to have much time to ride.

He chose to diversify his film career by branching into writing and directing. After his first film project was released in 2002, Cangialosi began writing the script for American Dresser. It was his first time featuring motorcycles in a film.

He used motorcycles to attract motorcycling's "built-in audience." He said motorcycles spearhead a multi-billion dollar industry, and he hopes using them in the film will help make it more attractive to audiences.

"Motorcycles are very iconic," Cangialosi said. "People either ride or want to ride."

While he has a lot of respect for other motorcycle-themed moviesAmerican Dresser, Cangialosi said he drew more influence from western films like Dances with Wolves, The Unforgiven and There Will Be Blood. He was also grateful for the major contributions that actors Berenger and Keith David made to the film.

Some of the stars talking about the making of American Dresser

"I was beyond fortunate to get them onboard this project." Cangialosi said.

One of the challenges he faced was teaching the film's two main stars how to ride.

"Tom [Berenger]'s wife rides, and Tom rode dirt bikes as a kid," Cangialosi said. He said David did not have previous riding experience. David's busy schedule forced Cangialosi to give David a crash course on how to ride a motorcycle shortly before filming began.

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle ridden in the film by Berenger's character is owned by Cangialosi's father. Cangialosi also wanted to get an Indian motorcycle into the film, so that is what David's character, Charlie Wylde, rides. "I did not want to make a brand movie," he said. "I wanted to make the film as timeless as possible."

Cangialosi said he doesn't have plans to make another film featuring motorcycles, but would not rule out using them again. "Making this film was the hardest thing I have ever done," he said. "Whatever I do next, I will let [the project] come together organically …. Like a comedian, I don't want to become too topical."

American Dresser was released on video on demand Sept. 21 and received a limited theatrical release Sept. 23. More information about the film can be found on its website at: AmericanDresser.com 

SOURCE: Biker News Online