The Dahlman Avenue Warehouse & Fire
4436 Dahlman Ave. Omaha, NE.
The Dahlman Warehouse: From Industry to Inferno
The Industrial Roots (1940s–2000s) Situated in the heart of the South Omaha industrial corridor, 4436 Dahlman Avenue was built during the mid-century industrial boom. For decades, it served as a heavy-duty warehouse and distribution hub, taking advantage of the nearby rail lines and the Missouri River trade. Its massive footprint and reinforced structure were designed for high-capacity storage. In its later years, it became home to various commercial ventures, most recently operating as a wood pallet manufacturing and storage facility. The interior was a labyrinth of timber, sawdust, and industrial machinery—a combination that would eventually prove catastrophic.
The Three-Alarm Fire (January 2026)
On the afternoon of January 18, 2026, the building’s history came to a violent end. A massive three-alarm fire broke out, sending plumes of thick, black smoke visible from miles across the city. Over 60 firefighters battled the blaze in bitter, sub-zero Nebraska temperatures. Upon arrival, crews attempted to enter the building but were forced back when they discovered the fire was already rolling over their heads through the roof structure. The intensity of the heat, combined with the immense fuel load of wooden pallets, forced the Omaha Fire Department into a "defensive posture," fighting the flames entirely from the outside to prevent a total collapse on personnel.
The Aftermath: A Frozen Ruin
The fire was so intense that it strained the city's water supply, requiring crews to pull from hydrants as far away as 8th Street. For urban explorers, the site now stands as a haunting, skeletal monument. In the days following the fire, the millions of gallons of water sprayed by firefighters froze into massive, glassy ice formations across the charred remains, creating a surreal "ice palace" of destruction. The cause remains under investigation, but the building is currently a total loss—a scorched shell of twisted steel and ash that marks the end of an era for this South Omaha block.
So please enjoy looking through my photos. The only way I know to protect these buildings is to remind people they even exist.
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Sources
KMTV 3 News Now: Coverage of the OFD response and the challenges of the "over the head" fire spread.
Douglas County GIS/Assessor: Historical property data regarding the building's mid-century construction and industrial zoning.
Omaha Scanner: Real-time dispatch records from the three-alarm call on Jan 18, 2026.