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Video Catches Roof Collapse at Fresno Restaurant Fire

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Strip Mall Destroyed

A SPECTACULAR FIRE IN A FRESNO, California, strip mall early Tuesday morning destroyed four businesses.  The fire is believed to have started in a popular restaurant, The Train Depot, that has been in operation for three decades.

KFSN-TV image

A passerby saw smoke coming from the restaurant and when the first units arrived the fire was into the common roof space and extending to the other occupancies.  Not long after their arrival, the firefighters were withdrawn from the building just before the roof came down in the restaurant.

The video report from KFSN-TV catches the roof collapse at the height of the fire:

 

Investigators are still working on locating the point of origin and the cause.  The entire shopping complex is destroyed with damages estimated to be $1.7 million.

KSEE-TV has more details and additional video HERE.

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Posted by on April 17, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Empty Gas Cans Raise Suspicions at Strip Mall Fire

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Found In Parking Lot Next To Burning Shop

A FIRE IN A PHOENIX, ARIZONA, SUBURBAN strip mall early Wednesday morning was soon classed as "suspicious" after three empty gasoline cans were found in the parking lot in front of the shopping center.

Traffic cones surround one of the gas cans left behind.
(KTVK image)

The Peoria Fire Department found a beautician's school fully involved just before midnight and the fire spreading through the common attic area of the typically-constructed shopping center.

Fire departments from six communities were dispatched to the fire that destroyed four businesses and damaged about a half-dozen more.  The fire was knocked down in 45 minutes and appears to have been well contained by the firefighters.

The roof collapsed over the seat of the fire
early into the operation.  (KPHO-TV)

An arson dog was brought in from Gilbert to assist in the investigation and it wasn't long before the fire investigators determined that the gas cans were primary evidence of the arson.

KPHO-TV filed this report on the arson connection:

 CBS 5 – KPHO

KTVK has more details and video HERE.

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Posted by on April 11, 2013 • Filed under: arson, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Downtown Fire in Oklahoma

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Still Burning

A MAJOR FIRE IN THE OWASSO, Oklahoma, business district has engulfed at least two businesses and is threatening an apartment complex which has been evacuated.  (Update:  the residents have since been allowed to return to their residences.)

KJRH-TV

The fire began around 7 am Central and is primarily centered in a pool supply business.  However, reports from the scene suggest that the fire started in a packaging company next door and then spread to the pool supply firm.  The fire is in a strip mall and another report is saying that an auto parts business may now be involved also.

An apartment complex close to the fire had been evacuated as a precaution because of the chemicals stored in the pool business.

KJRH-TV Ch. 2 has posted this early video report:

 

This is still an active incident and no further information has yet been made available.

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Posted by on January 7, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Deep Tan Does In Half-Dozen Shops

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All Because of One Light Bulb

A STRIP MALL IN KITSAP COUNTY, WASHINGTON, lost six businesses to a fire Sunday afternoon.  The 3-alarm blaze in Silverdale started in a Tanning Salon and has been tentatively traced back to a bulb in one of the tanning beds.

KING-TV

The alarm was dispatched at 2:15 pm Pacific and the first units found a working fire in the shopping center that had already, or soon after, spread into the common attic of the unsprinklered building.  The fire quickly involved most of the businesses as the firefighters were working to contain its progress.

One of the practicing tanners told the Kitsap Sun:

"I was in bed number 6," said Payton Herdman, 15, of Silverdale. "There was a loud pop, and I looked up and the acrylic where the light bulb is was on fire."

Herdman said the fire seemed to be contained within the light fixture, so she quickly dressed and ran out to warn staffers at the salon, who shut off the power and went to check the room. By the time they got there, she said, the room was engulfed in flames and alarms were going off.

KIRO-TV

The roof over one end of the structure collapsed and it was several hours until the fire was effectively knocked down.

All of the occupants of the businesses were safely evacuated and no injuries have been reported.  The damage was extensive and destructive, however.  The fire marshal is on the scene today as investigation gets into progress as the area becomes tenable.

KOMO-TV filed this video report from the scene:

 

The Kitsap Sun has the full story plus a 22-image photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on January 9, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Fire, Explosion Destroy Half of Strip Mall

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Midnight Fire Destroys Eight Businesses

A FIRE IN A CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, STRIP MALL leveled half the shopping center early Tuesday morning after a presumed backdraft explosion blew out all the front windows and led to a roof collapse.

Desert Sun photo

A patrol car discovered the fire around midnight and turned in the alarm.  The first-arriving units found heavy smoke in the building that has a common attic.  It was shortly after the Cathedral City FD arrived that additional oxygen got into the smoke and triggered the blast that caused the structural damage.  Aside from the blast, the fire was relatively easy to put out and had been extinguished an hour later.

KESQ-TV adds:

While the investigation continues into what caused the fire, firefighters have pinned down where the blaze originated. They believe it began in the plaza's meat market. "Our original report was that it was at the carnaceria," said Cathedral City Fire Department Battalion Chief John Muhr. "A passerby which happened to be one our police officers drove by and saw the smoke, so we're pretty certain that we have a good idea of the origin."

It took firefighters about an hour to put out the fire. In the process four firefighters were in for a surprise. They were knocked off their feet by a back draft explosion that occurred in the strip malls' Chinese restaurant. "In the case of the fire last night, we had an attic that was filled of flammable smoke and it found an ignition source and the rest is history," said Muhr.

About 35 to 40 firefighters from Cathedral City, Palm Springs and CalFire fought the blaze.

KPSP-TV Ch. 2 posted some raw video from the scene:

 

The Desert Sun has the STORY plus an extensive photo gallery.

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Posted by on December 7, 2011 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Arson Strikes California Strip Mall

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FD Makes Quick Containment

AN EARLY-MORNING FIRE IN A LOS ANGELES, California, strip mall gutted an auto parts store in Reseda Friday.

KTLA-TV

The first-arriving units found heavy smoke and fire coming from the store and immediately began forcing entry into the adjoining occupancies to attempt to contain the fire.  The shopping center has a common attic which is typical of that type of construction, and the fire had already gotten into the roof space.

LAFD / Flickr photo

The 130+ firefighters dispatched to the incident were able to contain the fire to the store of origin and the attic space, confining the neighboring shops to water and smoke damage only.  The fire was knocked down in hour and twenty-four minutes. 

Los Angeles Times

The LAFD arson investigators quickly determined that the fire was an arson and their investigation is continuing.

The Los Angeles Times has the STORY.
LAFD News blog has the DETAILS.
LAFD Flickr page photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on November 12, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

3-Alarms in California Valley Town

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A Night Filled With Dumpster Arsons

A 3-ALARM FIRE STRUCK THE San Joaquin Valley town of Manteca, California, Tuesday morning while a string of dumpsters were being set afire around the city.  The fire destroyed a strip-shopping center and it is currently believed that it also began with two dumpsters that were burning inside a fenced enclosure at the rear of the building.

Manteca Bulletin

The alarm was dispatched at 4 am Pacific and the first-in units found heavy smoke and some fire showing from the roof in the center of the 11,700 sq. ft. building.  A second alarm was immediately struck followed shortly by a third.  The initial attack lines went into a sports bar where the fire was concentrated, but examination above the drop ceiling disclosed that the steel joists were beginning to sag.  The interior crews were immediately pulled out and operations were confined to the exterior.

The building has a common attic and the firefighters placed trench cuts on each side of the main body of the fire.  The action was beneficial and the fire was mostly contained to three occupancies and knocked down a short while later.  However the entire roof had failed from the heat in the roof joists and the fire marshal stated that the entire building was lost.  Concentration on exposures kept the fire from spreading to nearby businesses.

Manteca Bulletin

While all this was going on, at least eight more dumpsters in various parts of the city were set alight and one of the engines that was working the shopping center fire had to be redeployed to respond to the other fires as they came in.

The structure which was built to code at the time in 1984 had no firewalls nor sprinklers.  The fire department called in all off-duty firefighters and some reserve members.  They remained on the scene for ten hours until the fire marshal returned the property to the owners.

Manteca Bulletin

The Manteca Bulletin has the full STORY.

Hat tip:  Bill K.

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Posted by on June 22, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Strip Mall Fire Claims Two Religious Centers

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Mosque and Christian Meeting House Destroyed

AN EARLY-MORNING FIRE SATURDAY in Stockton, California, destroyed part of a strip mall shopping center with the heaviest damage to a real estate office and a mosque next to it.  The fire also caused some damage to a Christian worship center and the involvement of two religious centers automatically triggered an enhanced arson investigation.

KXTV

The fire was discovered shortly after 4 am and during the operations the heat became so intense that it started melting the window coverings in an apartment building locate nearby.  About ten apartments were evacuated as a precaution, but the fire was successfully contained.

When the first units arrived on scene at 4:15, the real estate office and the mosque were both fully involved.  A 2nd alarm was struck immediately for the exposure hazard of the apartments.  While the firefighters were inside knocking down the fire, parts of the roof started collapsing into the shops and the FF's were withdrawn.

KCRA-TV Ch. 3 Sacramento filed this video report:

 

The point of origin was most likely in the wall between the two burned-out units, but nothing has been clearly determined yet.

KXTV Ch. 10 has more of the story HERE.

Posted by on April 23, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

FF’s Feeling Heat From Strip Mall Fire

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A 3-ALARM FIRE IN A CARMEL, INDIANA, STRIP MALL has wiped out one end of the shopping center Thursday morning.  The fire is knocked down, but units are still on the scene mopping up at the time of this posting.

WXIN-TV

The Carmel FD responded to the Dunkin Donuts shop around 2:15 am, two hours after the employees arrived at work, for an odor of smoke.  The firefighters found no cause for the smell and permitted the employees back into the building before they left.  At 4:28 the Dunkins workers called again, this time reporting visible smoke in their shop.

When the FD returned there was signficant fire in the roof area and was spreading to a wine-making shop next to it.  The fire grew rapidly as extra alarms were called and a concerted effort to contain the blaze was set up.  Within a short time the roof over the doughnut shop had collapsed and the wine-making business was destroyed.

WRTV Ch. 6 Indianapolis filed this video report from the scene this morning:

 

The firefighters, aided by units from Indianapolis and Noblesville on mutual aid, did contain the fire to the two businesses.

WXIN-TV has a 15-image photo gallery HERE.

Posted by on November 11, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,