Authorities investigating 4 ‘suspicious’ fires within blocks of each other in San Bernardino
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Several “suspicious” fires broke out at multiple locations within blocks of each other in San Bernardino on Saturday night, authorities said.
According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, crews were first dispatched to a reported commercial fire at 340 West 4th Street at 5:40 p.m.
911 callers indicated that the fire started from a room on the first floor of a vacant building, and when firefighters arrived and conducted a search, they found no victims.
The fire was knocked down in ten minutes and no injuries were reported. What caused the fire is unknown.
Just over three hours later, another fire broke out at the same building, authorities said.
“Crews were re-dispatched to the same address for a fire on the second floor…[they] arrived to find fire showing from two rooms on the second floor.”
It took firefighters approximately 25 minutes to extinguish the blaze. Due to the size of the building and how much fire was showing, a second alarm was struck, according to fire officials.
“The additional fire appears to be a new start and not a rekindle of the previous fire,” a San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “Fire investigators continue to investigate both fires’ cause and origin.”
A third fire was reported shortly after 9:30 p.m. at an adjacent occupancy located at 398 West 4th Street while crews were operating on the second alarm fire.
Further investigation into the third blaze led fire crews to discover another vacant structure engulfed in flames with “a citizen hanging from an exterior window.”
They were evacuated to safety and declined transport to a hospital.
A total of 12 engines, three truck companies, four chief officers, an air light fire truck and two fire investigators responded to the second and third fires, fire officials said.
An additional blaze was reported by the San Bernardino Police Department at 10:11 p.m. just two blocks from the first three fires.
Crews quickly responded to the area of West 2nd Street and South D Street and found a dumpster on fire with “immediate exposure to a commercial building.”
The flames were put out before they were able to spread to the nearby building.
“The fires are under investigation and appear to be suspicious in nature,” the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.
Anyone with information of an arson crime is asked to contact the Fire Investigation Unit at 909-347-1771 and ask to speak with an investigator.
Calls made after business hours or on weekends should be directed to 909-356-3805.
Those wishing to submit anonymous tips are asked to contact the We-Tip arson hotline by calling 1-800-472-7766 or by visiting the We-Tip website.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
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