We previously reported about a recycling fire this past Sunday at the Goodwill in Santa Ana. It turns out there was another large fire that day just south of us in Costa Mesa. It’s no wonder the air quality in Santa Ana was so poor on Sunday afternoon!
Just after 5 p.m. on Sunday June 15th, Costa Mesa Fire Department resources were dispatched to the report of a trash fire in Fountain Valley, initially identified as a Fountain Valley fire in the Santa Ana River Channel, located off of Talbert.
Initial resources arrived, and identified that the fire was large, and located a large stack of wood pallets and multiple commercial vehicles on fire, which subsequently appeared to have begun on the backside and immediately adjacent to a commercial structure at 3595 Cadillac Ave. in Costa Mesa.
The fire was quickly upgraded to a 2nd Alarm and thereafter, a 3rd Alarm Commercial Structure Fire. CMFR crews, with the assistance of neighboring agencies, including Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and OCFA attacked the fire quickly and aggressively in an offensive operation before moving into defensive operations and then combination operations, given the size of the structure, the fire load, and portions of the structure being compromised from the fire.
Additionally, HBFD’s Hazardous Materials team was on scene assessing the potential for any HazMat issues, as well Orange City FD who provided support for Air Bottles refilling, Medical assessment, and rehab for the crews who were working and rotating throughout the incident. At the peak of the incident, there were over 100 firefighting personnel on scene.
After an initial knockdown of the main fire, the crews moved the focus to extensive overhaul operations and salvage that remained in place through the early morning hours. CMFR’s Drone Program was also put into action and was utilized throughout the incident to provide vital real time active incident intelligence.
The cause of the fire is unknown currently and is under investigation. There are no injuries currently to report.
The Costa Mesa Police Department did an outstanding job of securing the scene, in addition to the swift response provided the City’s Building Department, led by Ryan Bohr (Chief of Inspections), who were collectively joined by the respective utility companies as well.
CMFR remained on scene throughout the evening and early morning hours due to the extensive fire load inside the structure and with partial collapse of portions of the building, which created challenges for the overall operations.
New crews arrived on scene this morning and transitioned with the original responding crews, and with the help of daylight, the CMFR crews will remain active on overhaul operations throughout the day and will be coordinated alongside with the CMFR investigation team.
The businesses at the affected location include Designer’s Moving Service, Inc., SoCal Weightlifting and Primecom Technologies, an electronics manufacturer. As the burned vehicles were moving vans or box trucks they likely belonged to Designer’s Moving Service, Inc.
There was damage to the building, according to the Costa Mesa Fire Department. The damage included the collapse or burn through of the center of the roof and a back portion of the structure that was also damaged. The fire was also said to be very smoky.
Estimated Cost of the Fire
While an official damage estimate has not yet been released, based on the following factors, the cost is likely to be substantial:
- Commercial building damage: Partial roof collapse or burn-through suggests structural damage.
- Vehicle loss: Multiple box trucks were destroyed, each potentially valued between $50,000–$100,000.
- Business interruption: Three businesses were affected, including an electronics manufacturer, which may have had high-value equipment and inventory.
A conservative estimate could range from $1 million to $3 million in total damages, depending on the extent of structural loss, vehicle value, and business equipment affected.
