Flames Blaze from Third-Alarm Fire

A third alarm commercial fire that caused $1 million in damages on the 22000 block of Commerce Way in Grand Terrace blazed Monday night, Nov. 17. Over 50 firefighters from the San Bernardino County Fire Department were assisted by San Bernardino City, Loma Linda, Rialto, Colton and Riverside County fire departments at 5:45 p.m. Monday evening where they immediately battled flames shooting from the roof of the 2-story, 12,080-square-foot building, according to San Bernardino County Fire officials. Shortly after fire responders arrived on scene 90 percent of the roof of the building collapsed and firefighters battled the flames with ladder trucks. Though the flames were extinguished an hour later, firefighters remained on scene for several hours for extensive mop-up, fire officials said. A construction yard adjacent to the burning building was saved from flames. The building, a warehouse for Hunter Landscaping, was a complete loss with all content - including 21 utility landscaping trucks parked inside - destroyed, according to San Bernardino County Fire officials. There was no one inside the building and a firefighter sustained a minor injury. The California Highway Patrol website and the San Bernardino County Fire Department website both confirm that the Barton Road off-ramp of the northbound I-15 was closed due to smoke damage to an adjacent wall separating the business from the freeway. As of Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, the Barton Road off-ramp was still closed to traffic. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Officials said that although the area is under a Red Flag warning, winds were not a factor in this incident.