Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - More than 90 firefighters knocked down a four-alarm fire that destroyed a building under construction Sunday morning.
The roadway continues to be closed between Palm Avenue and Euclid Avenue during the investigation, according to the City of San Gabriel. Firefighters arriving to the scene in the 300 block of West Valley Boulevard just before 3:30 a.m. June 11 reported flames more than 40 feet high and the entire building was engulfed, according to the San Gabriel Fire Department. Two nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution. No one was injured and no nearby structures were damaged, according to the San Gabriel Fire Department. “Currently, power has been restored to affected neighborhoods. There are reports of ash and debris throughout the city. Athens Services has been and will be conducting street sweeping to clear debris off roads,” according to the San Gabriel Fire Department in a written statement. Assisting San Gabriel firefighters were firefighters from Alhambra, Monterey Park, Montebello, San Marino, Arcadia, Pasadena, Glendale and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Investigators with the Verdugo Arson Task Force are determining the cause. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - A man already convicted of an arson fire was deemed a suspect in the blaze that caused tremendous destruction at the Mission San Gabriel last July, investigators announced Tuesday.
John David Corey Jr., 57, is facing two felony counts of arson of an inhabited structure, one count each of arson during a state of emergency, first-degree residential burglary and possession of flammable material, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Corey was sentenced to three years in a San Gabriel arson fire that sparked after the destruction of Mission San Gabriel, investigators said in a written statement “It was during this separate incident that investigators deemed Mr. Corey a person of interest in the Mission San Gabriel case. After a thorough investigation, investigators determined that Corey was responsible for the fire at the Mission San Gabriel,” investigators said in a written statement. The Verdugo Arson Task Force, the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to investigate the fire, according to the City of San Gabriel in a previous SGV CityWatch story. Firefighters responded to investigate a fire alarm at the mission, 428 S. Mission Dr., at 4:24 a.m. July 11, 2020. It took firefighters more than two hours to knock down the massive blaze. Firefighters attempted to make an aggressive attack on the flames from inside of the mission, but falling debris forced firefighters to go into defensive mode, according to Captain Antonio Negrete of the San Gabriel Fire Department. The roof was completely destroyed as well as much of the interior. No firefighters were injured. 50 firefighters and 12 fire companies from surrounding cities worked to extinguish the flames. Firefighters declared the flames knocked down at 6:48 a.m., Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Founded September 6, 1771, the mission was undergoing renovations in the time leading up to the arson to repair the nave walls and the pews were removed for refinishing and refurbishment, according to the San Gabriel Mission website. The current church structure was completed in 1805. Corey faces a possible maximum sentence of 14 years in prison if convicted as charged. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - More than 40 firefighters quenched a large blaze at a vacant dealership August 1. No injuries were reported in the fire that burned at 100 S. San Gabriel Blvd. Firefighters were dispatched to the location at 4:29 a.m., according to the San Gabriel Fire Department. Despite firefighters from Los Angeles County, Alhambra, Arcadia, Monterey Park, Pasadena and San Marino aggressively attacking the flames, they had to retreat due to a roof collapse, according to the San Gabriel Fire Department.
“The incident commanders felt that all units that were on the roof and inside should exit the building,” according to Cpt. Antonio Negrete of the San Gabriel Fire Department. It took two hours to knock down flames. A fire investigator is determining the cause, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - Investigators have yet to determine a cause for a fire that gutted the historic San Gabriel Mission July 11. Investigators began to thoroughly comb through the destruction four days after the fire destroyed the entire roof and much of the interior of the nearly 250-year-old church. Engineers and structural specialists had to stabilize debris before allowing entrance, according to the City of San Gabriel. The Verdugo Arson Task Force, the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to investigate the fire, according to the City of San Gabriel.
It took firefighters more than two hours to knock down the massive blaze. Firefighters responded to investigate a fire alarm at the mission, 428 S. Mission Dr., at 4:24 a.m. July 11. Firefighters attempted to make an aggressive attack on the flames from inside of the mission, but falling debris forced firefighters to go into defensive mode, according to Captain Antonio Negrete of the San Gabriel Fire Department. No firefighters were injured. 50 firefighters and 12 fire companies from surrounding cities worked to extinguish the flames. Firefighters declared the flames knocked down at 6:48 a.m., Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Federal Investigators Arrive To San Gabriel Mission To Search for Answers After Destructive Fire7/11/2020 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is joining the investigation into a fire that virtually destroyed the San Gabriel Mission Saturday.
Although a cause has yet to be determined, the preliminary investigation does not point to an immediate sign of arson, according to the city of San Gabriel in a written statement. It took firefighters more than two hours to knock down the massive blaze. “The roof is completely gone and it’s completely destroyed inside,” according to San Gabriel Fire Department Captain Antonio Negrete. Firefighters responded to investigate a fire alarm at the mission, 428 S. Mission Dr., at 4:24 a.m. July 11. Fire and smoke were immediately seen from the roof, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Firefighters attempted to make an aggressive attack on the flames from inside of the mission, but falling debris forced firefighters to go into defensive mode, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. No firefighters were injured. 50 firefighters and 12 fire companies from surrounding cities worked to extinguish the flames. Firefighters declared the flames knocked down at 6:48 a.m., Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Founded September 6, 1771, the mission was undergoing renovations recently to repair the nave walls and the pews were removed for refinishing and refurbishment, according to the San Gabriel Mission website. The current church structure was completed in 1805. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - It took firefighters more than two hours to knock down a massive blaze that caused widespread damage to the San Gabriel Mission early Saturday.
“The roof is completely gone and it’s completely destroyed inside,” according to San Gabriel Fire Department Captain Antonio Negrete. Firefighters responded to investigate a fire alarm at the mission, 428 S. Mission Dr., at 4:24 a.m. July 11. Fire and smoke were immediately seen from the roof, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. Firefighters attempted to make an aggressive attack on the flames from inside of the mission, but falling debris forced firefighters to go into defensive mode, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. No firefighters were injured. 50 firefighters and 12 fire companies from surrounding cities worked to extinguish the flames. Firefighters declared the flames knocked down at 6:48 a.m., Negrete told SGV CityWatch. The cause of the fire is still being determined. Investigators cannot enter the mission until it is deemed safe, Negrete told SGV CityWatch. It is unclear yet if the fire was suspicious in nature. Traffic is heavily affected in the Mission District area as firefighters and police remain on scene. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - As many as six fire companies battled a two-alarm blaze that damaged a vacant building and the San Gabriel Lanes Bowling Alley Saturday.
The fire was reported after 9 a.m. in a vacant building in the 200 block of South San Gabriel Avenue October 6. At least five other fire departments, including Alhambra, Arcadia, San Marino, Pasadena and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, assisted in fighting the flames, according to the San Gabriel Fire Department. Smoke could be seen from responding firefighters at San Gabriel Fire Station 51, 1303 Del Mar Ave., according to San Gabriel Fire Department radio traffic. Firefighters quickly upgraded to a second-alarm response. Flames began extending into the San Gabriel Lanes Bowling Alley. “Despite an aggressive interior fire attack in order to extinguish the blaze at a small scale, the stability of the structure began to compromise and the decision was made to exit the building,” the San Gabriel Fire Department said. “Tactics then transferred to a defensive fire attack, commonly known as “Surround and Drown.’” The cause is under investigation. No injuries were reported. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - A non-injury fire at an apartment complex Friday night yielded the early stages of a marijuana grow operation, a police sergeant said.
San Gabriel Firefighters responded to 324 San Marcos and during the firefight, found evidence of the operation. Officers were requested to respond and investigate, according to Sgt. James Just of the San Gabriel Police Department. “Apparently, the guy had just started to rent the place. It looks like he was trying to set something up there,” Just said. A faulty electrical cord may be to blame, Just said. The fire extinguished itself as firefighters arrived. Very little marijuana was found inside the unit. No arrests have yet been made. The fire was knocked down at 10:25 p.m. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - Firefighters are battling a second-alarm fire in a strip mall.
The fire has caused a collapse of the structure, but the extent is not known. Firefighters responded to the commercial fire at 500 W. Valley Blvd. a 6:18 a.m. Flames can be seen shooting out of the roof of the one-story strip mall. It is unclear if anyone has been injured. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL - Commissioned auto body work at a shopping center turned disastrous after a lit torch burned three vehicles Sunday afternoon.
Two men agreed to meet for the transaction. As the work was being done, the mechanic lit a torch, which accidentally lit the vehicle on fire, said Lt. Rene Hernandez of the San Gabriel Police Department. The fire was reported behind the shopping center, 120 E. Valley Blvd, just after 4 p.m. As the fire grew, it damaged two other vehicles. “The main vehicle was basically totaled,” Hernandez said. The damage to the two other vehicles was not immediately known. No injuries were reported. |
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