Firefighters Extinguish Two-Alarm Fire in Apple Valley Strip Mall

APPLE VALLEY, Calif.(VVNG.com)- Firefighters responded to a 2nd alarm commercial structure fire in a commercial strip mall Monday.

The fire was reported at 1:11 a.m. on November 14th in the 13600 block of Navajo Road near Yucca Loma Road in Apple Valley.

According to AVFPD Fire Chief Sid Hultquist, as the first engine pulled out of Station 331 on Highway 18 they reported smoke showing.

When firefighters arrived on scene they found heavy black smoke coming from “1 Stop Barber & Beauty Shop” located in the multi-unit strip mall.

(Photo Courtesy LLN)

“They immediately began to advance the hose line, they encountered heavy black smoke, zero visibility, with high heat conditions. And they also heard aerosol cans exploding inside the barber shop,” stated Hultquist.

Due to the potential threat of the fire spreading to the attic, a second-alarm was requested to bring in extra resources.

Additional engines arrived on scene and ventilated the roof. “The businesses share a common attic. If the fire had spread to the attic it would have been a significant threat to the other businesses,” said Hultquist.

Firefighters knocked down the fire and prevented it from spreading to the adjacent tenants, which included a church, a restaurant, and a fitness center. However, the barber shop was deemed a complete loss.

“It took a good 30 minutes to contain the fire where it was no longer a threat to other occupants of the strip mall,” stated Hultquist, “Firefighters remained at the scene for a total of three hours.”

A total of 24 firefighters from Apple Valley Fire and San Bernardino County Fire responded.

No injuries were reported by civilians or firefighters.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.