ALERT
What is often overlooked is incidental hot work performed by contractors or maintenance personnel during repairs, renovations, or equipment servicing.
Executive Summary
Many businesses receive recommendations to implement a Hot Work Permit Program and assume it does not apply because they do not perform welding, cutting, or similar operations as part of their normal business activities. What is often overlooked is incidental hot work performed by contractors or maintenance personnel during repairs, renovations, or equipment servicing.
A recent catastrophic fire at a mattress factory in Belleville, NJ is a strong reminder that hot work exposures can exist in any occupancy. A mattress warehouse is not an operation most people would immediately associate with welding hazards, yet investigators believe welding activity near combustible materials was the ignition source of a fire that ultimately destroyed an entire city block.
The Belleville, NJ Warehouse Fire
On May 3, 2026, a 14-alarm warehouse fire in Belleville, New Jersey destroyed multiple commercial buildings and displaced dozens of residents. Authorities believe the fire originated during welding operations inside a mattress manufacturing and storage facility where foam, fabric, cardboard, and compressed gas cylinders were present.
Windy, dry conditions accelerated the spread of the fire, with embers reportedly igniting additional rooftop fires blocks away. The incident ultimately damaged or destroyed multiple businesses, residential structures, and municipal property. Losses are expected to reach the multi-million-dollar range when property damage, business interruption, emergency response, demolition, and environmental remediation costs are considered.
The event illustrates how quickly a routine maintenance operation can escalate into a catastrophic loss when hot work is performed near combustible materials without sufficient controls in place.
Reminder to Review Your Fire Safety and Protection Programs
SterlingRisk’s Loss Control team recommends that policyholders take this opportunity to review their fire prevention and protection programs, particularly if you store combustible materials or utilize outside contractors for maintenance and repair work.
A Hot Work Permit Program should be in place even if hot work is only performed occasionally. Contractors conducting welding, cutting, brazing, grinding, or soldering operations can create significant ignition hazards in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other occupancies containing combustible materials. An effective program should include pre-work inspections, removal or protection of combustibles, written permits, designated fire watch personnel, readily available fire extinguishing equipment, and post-work monitoring to ensure no hidden ignition sources remain. Contractors should also be required to comply with the facility’s hot work procedures as a condition of performing work on-site.
Policyholders should also review how compressed gas cylinders and other hazardous materials are stored. Oxygen, acetylene, helium, propane, and similar materials should be properly segregated from combustible stock and stored in designated areas designed to reduce fire risk and limit fire severity if an incident occurs.
Facilities storing foam, textiles, cardboard, plastics, or similar combustible products should confirm that automatic sprinkler systems and standpipes are properly maintained and adequate for the current occupancy and storage configuration. Inspection, testing, and maintenance should be performed regularly in accordance with National Fire Protection Association NFPA 25 standards.
Employee training remains equally important. Staff should understand emergency reporting procedures, evacuation expectations, and the limitations of portable fire extinguishers. In many fire events, the first several minutes determine whether a small incident remains manageable or develops into a major loss.
Businesses should also consider implementing additional precautions or restricting hot work entirely during periods of high wind and low humidity, when ember travel and rapid fire spread become significantly more likely.
Checklist for Reviewing Your Fire Safety and Protection Programs
The Belleville fire is a useful reminder for any business that stores combustible materials, utilizes contractors for maintenance or repair work, or operates a warehouse or manufacturing facility. The following checklist is intended as a starting point for review, not a substitute for a comprehensive fire prevention and protection program.
For questions about your Hot Work Permit Program or fire protection coverage, contact Steven Markowitz at smarkowitz@SterlingRisk.com, Nick Swain at nswain@sterlingrisk.com, or reach out to your SterlingRisk account executive directly.
Resources:
- ABC7 New York Coverage of the Belleville Fire: https://abc7ny.com/post/plumes-smoke-fill-air-fire-tears-warehouse-belleville-new-jersey/19031314/
- Surveillance Video of the Fire Origin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNQiYf4CaLQ&
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DISCLAIMER: This article is provided by SterlingRisk Insurance for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or insurance advice. Always review your individual policy terms and consult your broker or legal counsel regarding your specific situation.
