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Architectural Landmark Burns in California

2 comments

Riverside County Architectural Treasure

A RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, LANDMARK BUILDING burned out early Tuesday morning leaving a cultural void in the community.  The structure that was built about 35 years ago has always been used as a restaurant, but has changed hands frequently in later years, most recently dba GG's Island Restaurant.

Desert Sun photo

The building currently valued at nearly $5 million was designed and built in 1978 and is an early example of "organic architecture" that blends the building in with the surrounding landscape and most of it underground to keep the interior cool in the hot desert climate.

Desert Sun

The Riverside County Fire and Rescue was dispatched at 4 am Pacific Tuesday morning and the first-in units found fire showing with flames 40 to 60 feet in the air.  Two additional alarms were struck and  55 firefighters worked for four hours to knock the fire down.

KMIR-TV has this video report that includes some fire footage:

 

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

The Desert Sun has MORE.

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Also on FireGeezer…

Posted by on January 11, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,
  • ukfbbuff

    Hey Bill

    Thanks for running the story.

    The 1st Due Engine, called for a Second Alarm prior to arriving on scene and Established Command-”Hwy 111 I-C”.

    I was on the Third due Engine on the 1st Alarm, arriving just behind the Second due Engine and Truck. The fire was self vented through the roof when we arrived as it has a three foot wide skylight that ran from the front door on the “A” side to the “D” side.
    The front door is behind the “GG’s-Tiki” sign in the first/top picture and the building is in the shape of a “V”.

    We were assigned to pull a backup line as the first 2-1/2″ line went through the front door. By the time we were set up the first line pulled back out, the smoke was banking down to the ground. We re-positioned ourselves on the (“A”) street side/Hwy 111 as the fire was going Defensive and the Ladder Pipe was going into service.

    We got several good minutes of exterior to interior water application as the interior crew came out and re-grouped but by that time, the fire was fully defensive. A Photo taken of the “D” side at about this time shows massive fire coming out of  the emergency exit door, roof line and windows.

    My crew eventually rotated to the roof to assist the Truck Crew. We found a 12 inch foam covering on top of 2×6″ Tongue and Groove Wood Roof. The foam insulation made it necessary to use a Rotary Saw to cut through it and a Chain saw for the roof deck.

    The restaurant itself was partially built into the side of the hill you see in the back ground. At the time of construction it was Not Fire Sprinklered. My crew had been inside of the restaurant about three weeks earlier on a EMS Run. 

    Given the shape of the building and its fire load, We Did a Good Job along with those Mutual Companies from adjoining Communities. Out here they operated Under a “Unified Command Structure” reporting to our IC and Operations Section Chief for Assignments.

    The unfortunate thing is that 15 people have lost their jobs, The City of Rancho Mirage has lost the income from the business it brought in and people have lost a Dinning Establishment that has been around for over 30 years.

  • firegeezer

    Thanks for the background report and fine description of the operation. I’d appreciate a follow-up later on the cause. It smells suspicious to me.
    Firegeezer