News 24/7

Toddler nearly drowns in Eastvale

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:22:19 -0800

A toddler nearly drowned Saturday in Eastvale.

The 1-year-old girl was found breathing when Riverside County Firefighters arrived about 11:45 a.m. at the home in the 6200 block of Cedar Creek Road, according to the department's Web site.

Firefighters from the Eastvale station took the girl to a local hospital.

- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

Girl nearly drowns in Eastvale

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:53:01 -0800

A 1-year-old girl was taken to the hospital Saturday morning after she nearly drowned.

Riverside County Firefighters responded to a home in the 6200 block of Cedar Creek Road in Eastvale to a reported near drowning at 11:43 a.m., according to a fire news release.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a 1-year-old girl who was breathing. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

-jannise.johnson@inlandnewspapers.com

Redlands woman killed in early morning house fire

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:22:59 -0800

A 48-year-old Redlands woman died in a house fire this morning and fire officials say packrat conditions may have contributed to the blaze.

Neighbors in the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue called 9-1-1 about 4:30 a.m. this morning after smelling smoke and spotting the three-bedroom home on fire.

Police arrived first but could not enter the house because the front door was locked. Officers broke out a window to try and ventilate the house while calling out for residents inside.

When firefighters arrived, they found the unidentified woman lying inside the home in the front doorway. She was taken to Redlands Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead about 5 a.m.

Crews searched for a man in his 70s who is believed to live there but discovered later that he had been taken to the hospital yesterday on an unrelated matter. One firefighter received a minor injury while making entry to the house.

It took 19 firefighters a half hour to knock down the flames. There was an estimated $200,000 in damage.

Firefighters said the blaze started in one of two back bedrooms, which was piled waist high with books, magazines and debris. They also found that batteries had been removed from two smoke detectors, said city spokesman Carl Baker.

Coroner's officials will release the victim's identity after notifying her family.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Fire burns garage in Ontario

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:51:58 -0800

A family was temporarily displaced after a fire destroyed their garage Friday evening.

Ontario firefighters responded to a call of a garage fire at 7:12 p.m. in the 2500 block of Arcadian Shores Road, authorities said.

There were 22 firefighters, including one fire investigator, who responded to fight the blaze, said Ontario fire Capt. Mike Pelletier.

The fire destroyed the garage, one SUV, one compact car, two jet skis and one motorcycle, he said. The blaze caused an estimated $125,000 damage.

No one was injured, but the family will be temporarily forced to stay with family members in area. The cause is under investigation.

-jannise.johnson@inlandnewspapers.com

Mysterious substance alarms Chino postal workers

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:04:51 -0800

Workers at the Chino Post Office got quite a scare Thursday morning when they discovered an unknown powder inside a Ziploc bag in the mailroom.

Chino Valley Fire District officials arrived about 9:40 a.m. at the post office and tested the substance, which turned out to be onion salt, according to a District news release.

The bag was found on the floor in the back area of the post office, said District Public Information Officer Massiel Ladron De Guevara said.

No one was evacuated from the building at 5375 Walnut Avenue and postal operations were not affected, Ladron De Guevara said.

- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

House fire in Colton ruled arson

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:56:52 -0800

Colton fire officials said today that a vacant home that went up in smoke Tuesday afternoon was the work of an arsonist.

Firefighters responded to the 1:30 p.m. blaze in the 1800 block of Terrace Avenue and found smoke pouring out of the attic. Flames quickly burned through the roof but crews managed to knock down the fire within a half hour, said Colton fire spokesman Tom DeBellis.

No one was injured. An estimated cost of damage was not immediately available.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Firefighters battle Muscoy house blaze

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:54:44 -0800

A fire damaged a two-story home on Second Street in Muscoy this afternoon.

San Bernardino County firefighters came to a home in the 2400 block of West Second Street at 12:14 p.m. and found flames coming from the roof of the house.

Firefighters also found a powerline that had fallen in the area.

The blaze was under control at 12:58 p.m.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Montclair fire rages through home, displaces family

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:06:05 -0800

An electrical fire engulfed a home on Orchard Street Monday, displacing a family and leaving few items salvageable.

The blaze started at around 12:54 p.m. and was put out in 15 minutes by the Montclair Fire Department with assistance from Ontario, Upland and Chino departments, said Mike Donley, Montclair fire spokesman. No nearby homes were affected.

Donley said the fire reached the attic of the single-family home and it took nearly three hours to make sure the blaze was fully extinguished. At around 9:30 p.m. Monday, firefighters returned to extinguish a small fire that started up again.

The high temperatures on Monday made it a challenge for the 30 firefighters.

"Due to the heat and the ambient heat, the firefighters were totally spent," Donley said. "It was well over 105 degrees so the scene was very, very hot."

A preliminary investigation pointed to electrical wires as the cause of the blaze. A resident who was inside the house when the fire started, told officials there was a knocking sound behind one of the walls. Donley said the sound might have been sparks from electrical wires.

-- wendy.leung@inlandnewspapers.com

Brush fire on Perris Hill blackens 10 acres

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:33:32 -0800

San Bernardino City fire officials are investigating three fires on Perris Hill in the last week as arson.

About 15 firefighters were called out about 11 a.m. Monday to Perris Hill, behind Pacific High School in San Bernardino. They said the blaze started as a 100 x 100 spot but spread quickly, eventually blackening 10 acres.

It took fire crews about 75 minutes to contain the brush fire. No homes were threatened and no one was injured, said firefighter Steve Tracy

SB firefighters rescue family of five from burning home

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:48:24 -0800

San Bernardino firefighters credited a neighbor's keen sense of smell in the rescue of a family of five, whose attic had been smoldering for hours this morning before anyone called the Fire Department.

The family in the 1200 block of North Perris Street had been sleeping while smoke filled their house. The smoke detector hadn't been activated because there was no battery in it, said San Bernardino City Fire Capt. Ben Alexander.

"The kids were all asleep in their beds and the fire was burning right above them in the attic," Alexander said.

Celeste Mabra, an early riser who lives several doors down from the family, just happened to open a window and smelled smoke. But when she walked outside, she couldn't see a fire and didn't know if the blaze was close or far away.

"Sometimes when you have forest fires you can smell them down here," Mabra said. "I was just thinking it smelled like a chimney at first, but I couldn't see anybody doing that because it was so hot."

UPDATE: Pomona fire extinguished

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:34:51 -0800

Los Angeles County Firefighters knocked down a fire in an abandoned building about two hours after it was reported.

The structure fire was dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. at 1945 W. Mission Boulevard. About 80 firefighters arrived and fought the fire with water towers and trucks, a dispatcher said.

Firefighters had to go into defensive mood at one point, meaning they could only attack the blaze from the outside, the dispatcher said.

The flames were extinguished about 6 p.m.

The building was completely abandoned and and the fire did not spread to any other structures, officials said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

UPDATE: Pomona fire under control

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:58:15 -0800

Los Angeles County Firefighters have gone into defensive mood against a fire that broke out in an abandoned building on Mission Boulevard, meaning they will attack the blaze from the outside.

The fire, which was bumped up to a second alarm, will be fought with water towers, so no firefighters have to go inside, a dispatcher said.

Officials have not sent any additional units to fight the fire at 1945 W. Mission, and the flames are under control, the dispatcher said.

- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

Structure fire reported in Pomona

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:26:09 -0800

An abandoned building is reportedly on fire on Mission Boulevard near the 71 Freeway, Los Angeles County Fire dispatchers said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Pomona building at 1945 W. Mission shortly after 4 p.m.

Four engines and two trucks are on scene to battle the first alarm fire, dispatchers said.

- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

Blaze burns five acres on Perris Hill

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:50:36 -0800

A five-acre brush fire burned in Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino just before 11 a.m. this morning.

Neighbors save man and dog from fire in Adelanto

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:22:17 -0800

Neighbors rescued an elderly man and one dog from his burning home Sunday afternoon.

San Bernardino County Firefighters responded at 12:21 p.m. to a 911 call of a house fire with occupants inside the home, according to a fire news release.

When they arrived at the house in the 1100 block of Desert Rose Drive, they found the home engulfed in flames, authorities said.

Once neighbors discovered the fire, around 8 to 10 nearby residents broke windows at the back of the house in order to gain entry.

They found the man and his dog in the back bedroom, the only room not burning, and got them to safety. A second dog was able to get out on its own.

Firefighters were eventually able to get the fire under control, but not before the roof collapsed.

No other houses were damaged.

The man was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. He was not burned. The dogs have been taken by City of Adelanto Animal Control for safekeeping until a family member can pick them up.

Authorities are crediting the fast thinking and quick action of the victims's neighbors for saving his life and minimizing his injuries.

The house was completely destroyed and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

-jannise.johnson@inlandnewspapers.com