When things go wrong, they can go very wrong. Moving and storage insurance provides protection against worst-case scenarios as well as the smaller disasters that can occur. A recent warehouse fire highlights why it’s important to manage moving and storage risk with solid coverage.
The Gosselin Warehouse Fire
Imagine your entire warehouse going up in flames. In addition to the loss of the building, you’d also be facing the loss of all the inventory inside. Unfortunately, this scenario played out recently.
On Thursday, June 13, a fire broke out at the Gosselin Logistics warehouse at the Brussels Airport. The Brussels Times has reported that the fire was contained by Friday morning. However, by then, the flames had mostly destroyed the warehouse, and the roof had collapsed. According to La Libre, footage shows small explosions in the building before the fire started, and the fire has been linked to work being done on the roof.
Fire Is a Constant Threat
Warehouses, storage facilities and even moving trucks are all vulnerable to fire, and the Gosselin warehouse fire is not the only time fire has led to major losses. Here are just several examples of the many headlines involving fires at warehouses, storage facilities and moving trucks:
- In May, a warehouse in Washington caught fire. According to NonStop Local, the Lineage Logistics warehouse caught fire, and the fire flared up again when the produce stored there dried out and became fuel for the flames.
- In June, a warehouse in Texas caught fire. According to Click2Houston, a lack of fire hydrants complicated efforts to extinguish the flames. The cause of the fire at the three-story warehouse was not immediately known.
- In early June, a self-storage facility in Colorado caught fire. According to KDVR, the facility had 78 units, and most were impacted by the fire itself or by efforts to put out the fire, leaving customers to wonder whether any of their belongings were salvageable.
- In April, a self-storage facility in Louisiana caught fire. According to WAFB, firefighters believe the fire was set intentionally.
- In 2021, a brake problem ignited a fire in a fully loading moving truck in Oregon. According to KTVZ, the back half of the truck was destroyed.
- In 2019, a moving truck going from Florida to Alabama caught fire. According to WGXA, a passenger said a truck ran the moving truck off the road, causing it to hit a guard rail, and the collision sparked the fire.
Are You Covered?
Arson, lightning strikes, mechanical failure, construction incidents and many other scenarios can result in devastating fires. Insurance provides the coverage needed to protect your company’s assets and the items in your care. In addition to moving insurance, RIG offers coverage for self-storage facilities and warehouses. Our coverage options include warehouse bailee, warehouse legal liability, cargo legal liability, bond indemnity and errors and omissions. Learn more.
