Off-Duty CA Firefighters Called to Battle 4-Alarm Fire

The Fresno Fire Department remained on the scene late Monday night of a four-alarm fire that started inside a furniture store on Blackstone Avenue.

Unit arrived to BC Outlet home goods and furniture store around 8:30 p.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building, according to deputy chief Rich Cabral. The fire spread to the business next door, Kelly-Moore Paint.

Eleven engines were called to the scene, forcing the department to call in off-duty fire fighters for support.

The heavy smoke and traffic along Blackstone made it difficult for firefighters arriving — as did the heat, which was pushing 90 degrees, Carbral said.

Crews were rotated in for safety, he added.

The bulk of the fire was put out quickly and there wasn’t enough of a threat to warrant an evacuation of the Motel 6 next door, Cabral said.

While the department is still conducting a full investigation, Cabral believes the building’s sprinkler system may not have been operational. There is no word on what started the fire, or the amount of damage it may have cause.

While the fire was mostly under control, Cabral expected the crews to be on the scene for several more hours Monday night.

Traffic along Blackstone was flowing freely by 9:45 p.m.

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