Commercial Fire in Flinn Springs

Flinn Springs: On Wednesday, April 7th,2010 at 7:09 PM, the Heartland Communications Center started to receive multiple reports of a commercial building on fire in the 14300 blk of Olde Highway 80. Four engine companies, a truck company, an ALS ambulance, and a Battalion Chief were dispatched to the incident. On the arrival of Engine Company 3 and Medic 3 (Lake Jennings Station) they had moderate smoke conditions coming from multiple openings. The crew forced entry through a exterior door and discovered active fire in the warehouse portion of the business.

Lakeside Engine 3 starts an interior attack as Santee Truck 4 arrives to execute vertical ventilation.

Santee Truck 4 on the roof while other crews report to assist on the interior.

On the arrival of Engine Company 26s (Blossom Valley Station) they assisted crews with stretching additional attack lines. With the arrival of Engine Company 8 (El Cajon Fire) they assumed the RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew) function and started immediate work on pulling back-up lines and facilitating ventilation. Battalion 1 (Laff) arrived and assumed command of the fire.

As the attack crew made it's way into the building they discovered a large work truck that had ignited in the middle of the building. After a knockdown of the fire crews were dealing with near "zero" visibility so Truck 4 (Santee Fire Department) laddered the roof and initiated vertical ventilation. 

The fire is currently under investigation. Preliminary loss was placed at about $30,000. Factors in the limited loss was a sprinkler system that held the fire in check with a single head activation. Without that sprinkler system it's likely this fire could have been a total loss of the business.

Thirteen Lakeside Fire personnel responded to the fire, assisted by three personnel from the Santee, and three personnel from the El Cajon Fire Department.

Submitted: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District

Photos By: Interim Fire Chief Andy Parr and Battalion Chief Ron Laff.