Northwest's experiences helped the Bank of the Sierra in Porterville, California, survive the effects of an early morning fire that destroyed its corporate offices and melted its mainframe computer. Although the facility was seemingly well protected by a sprinkler system and a halon-gas fire- system, this fire burned through the building's roof, which collapsed, crushing the sprinkler system and releasing the halon ges into the air. The bank's central databases and related records, including all personal and mortgage loan records, credit card records, and unprocessed checks, were lost.