Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - An outside fire so intense it eventually led to the destruction of three metal clad buildings was finally knocked down Sunday after more than five hours of burning.

Two of the three buildings that burned were vacant. One building housed what was described as “building materials,” which jettisoned thick columns of black smoke as they burned, putting out a horrid “pool chemical” smell across the San Gabriel valley.

Firefighters were dispatched to the blaze at 9240 Whitmore Street just after 2 p.m. Sunday, July 16. The response was immediately upgraded to a second alarm, bringing in 60 to 70 additional firefighters after heavy fire and smoke were observed on arrival, according to Henry Narvaez, Los Angeles County Fire Department public information officer.

The initial outside fire penetrated to inside of a building and spread throughout. The fire was so hot that it began burning in buildings on either side of the first building to be affected, Narvaez told SGV CityWatch.

The response was then upgraded to a third-alarm, bringing 100or more firefighters across the sand Gabriel Valley to the scene.

After the initial fire was put out, cruise remain on scene for many more hours to completely put out hot spots inside of the burning buildings. Excavators room brought in and begin ripping apart, and tearing down the metal clad buildings.

The “pool chemical” smell was possibly detected as far away as the city of Upland, according to a statement from the Upland Police Department.

More than five hours, after firefighters were dispatched, knockdown was called. The cause is still under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - One person was found dead and 25 residents were displaced after firefighters extinguished an apartment complex blaze early Monday morning.

The fire burned at a two-story apartment complex in the 11400 block of Magnolia Street in El Monte just after 3 a.m. Monday, March 27. First responders arrived to find one unit at the complex well involved with flames, according to Dispatch Supervisor Martin Rangel of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“When the fire was extinguished, it was discovered that a decedent was found in one of the apartments,” according to El Monte Police Lt. Peter Rasic.

El Monte Police detectives are assisting county fire investigators and the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner in determining the cause.

The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - Fire investigators and El Monte building inspectors are examining a fire at the former site of a highly-controversial church Sunday morning.

The fire burned in a one-story commercial building at 2600 Tyler Ave. Firefighters were dispatched at 8:54 a.m. March 6. The fire, which burned in some façade on the street-side of the structure, was knocked down at 9:18 a.m., according to Dispatch Supervisor Jeremy Stafford of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The building apparently used to house the First Works Baptist Church, whose pastor was known for anti-gay rhetoric. Two people were caught on grainy security video January 23, 2021 as they ignited an object that caused a fire inside the building.

The building apparently now houses a different church, according to Lt. Pete Rasic of the El Monte Police.

“I think it is a Christian church. I think it’s a church that’s new to the building,” Rasic told SGV CityWatch.

A quick Google search shows Celestial Church of Christ LA Mother Parish as occupying the address, however the City of El Monte business directory still lists First Works Baptist Church at the location.

Preliminarily, the cause may be electrical, Rasic told SGV CityWatch.

One person inside the church was displaced, Stafford told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - A church sustained undisclosed damage in what authorities described as an IED explosion Saturday.

The incident occurred at First Works Baptist Church, 2600 Tyler Ave. around 1:13 a.m.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation responded overnight with members of the El Monte Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to an “IED” attack at the First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, California. Bomb Technicians and an Evidence Response Team are processing the scene which sustained damage. No injuries were reported. A Joint Investigation is underway for the person or group responsible for the attack,” according to Lt. Michael Buckhannon of the El Monte Police Department in a written statement.

Firefighters arrived on scene and observed smoke coming from the attic of a one-story church. Upon entering the church, firefighters found no active flames, according to a dispatch supervisor with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the FBI Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565, or at fbi.tips.gov.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - A business was destroyed Sunday night in a second-alarm fire that caused a roof collapse.

Firefighters were dispatched to 9900 E. Valley Boulevard at 7:47 p.m. November 22. Fire ignited in an abandoned 50-foot by 100-foot one-story building, according to Dispatch Supervisor Imogene McBride of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters knocked down flames at 9:23 p.m., McBride told SGV CityWatch.

The cause is under investigation.

EL MONTE - A suspicious fire burned two residential structures and two sheds at a property in town Saturday afternoon.

A victim was found stabbed at the scene in the 4400 block of Bannister Avenue. The adult male reportedly stabbed himself in the chest. He was transported in serious condition, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - It took 25 firefighters under one hour to knock down a massive fire in an El Monte strip mall Saturday morning that was affected by fire previously.

The fire burned in a strip mall at 10113 E. Valley Blvd. around 1:32 a.m. July 25. Firefighters could only knock down flames from the outside due to structural integrity issues caused by the previous fire, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

While the Los Angeles County Fire Department said that the structure was affected by a fire one month prior, there were at least two major fires that burned in the last two months alone to the same location for structure fires.

A portion of the same strip mall burned July 20. No victims were found.

This same strip mall originally burned May 14. A third-alarm response was called after fire in the attic portion of the strip mall caused extensive damage throughout the structure.

The cause is under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - A Fire is burning throughout the facade and attic space of a 200-foot-by-50-foot strip mall.

The fire is burning at 10103 Valley Blvd. Fire is burning in the facade and throughout the attic. A second alarm response was requested, doubling resources at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Fire is burning through the roof and from end to end in the strip mall.

Traffic along Valley Boulevard will be greatly impacted due to the amounts of fire department resources at the scene.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

UPDATE, 6:26 a.m.: ‪The structure fire was knocked down at 5:22 a.m. A second ambulance was called for a patient with an undisclosed issue.‬

EL MONTE - Firefighters are battling a fire at a residential property.

The fire is burning inside what was described by firefighters as a single-story quadplex in the 11700 block of Magnolia Street. Dispatched at 5 a.m., firefighters reported heavy smoke and fire, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

No other information is available.

EL MONTE - No injuries were reported after an estimated 50 to 100 railroad ties caught fire near Valley Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue Thursday.

The railroad ties caught fire near a one-story commercial building at 10673 Valley Blvd. around 2:13 p.m. July 11. Fire hose had to be laid across active railroad tracks, forcing trains to be temporarily halted, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters called the fire knocked down at 2:41 p.m.

Metrolink service was disrupted due to the fire, with eastbound train 314 held at Cal State Los Angeles. Line 327 westbound to Los Angeles was held at Baldwin Park, according to Metrolink.

No injuries were reported, according to the El Monte Police Department.