One Night, Two Apartment Fires in San Clemente

Originally posted at 8:54 a.m. June 6, 2014. Edited to add photo.

Having just battled an apartment fire in San Clemente earlier in the night, firefighters were called once again to another apartment in San Clemente, where a row of eight connected garages was ablaze.

Captain Steve Concialdi said the call came in at 3:35 this morning to the Vista Pacific Apartments at 1046 Calle del Cerro.

“The caller reported three garages on fire, and the flames were shooting up as high as 40 feet,” he said.

Forty firefighters arrived to see it was no exaggeration Concialdi said. Vehicles in the garages were making the flames extra-intense.

Upon arriving on scene, the fire spread to a fourth unit, Concialdi said. Firefighters made long “trench ventilation cuts” on the roof to allow the hot smoke, gas and flames to escape.

They had the fire under control within 30 minutes and are still mopping up this morning, Concialdi said.

Altogether, the fire caused $50,000 worth of damage to the structure and another $20,000 to the contents.