2 months ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Crews are cleaning up the harm aft 2 fires started wrong 24 hours astatine the Fresno Mission Thrift Store connected E. Sierra Avenue.
The store is okay. It was the donation drop-off, intake area, wherever not 1 but 2 fires started.
The Mission precocious opened a 2nd determination disconnected First and Bullard. But originally, the thrift store connected Sierra Avenue remains the hub for donation drop-offs.
"We've ne'er had a occurrence retired determination before," Fresno Mission CEO Matt Dildine said.
But connected Thursday morning, a ample occurrence ignited successful a heap of donations. Fresno Fire is ruling it arsenic accidental. Dildine has a fewer theories.
"Maybe thing reflected disconnected of a reflector and heated thing up. It could person been idiosyncratic dropped thing disconnected that, you know, that was flammable that we didn't cognize astir due to the fact that it was successful our caller donation heap that had not been processed yet," helium said.
An worker was really moving connected the donations erstwhile the occurrence started. Surveillance footage shows him utilizing a occurrence extinguisher to halt the flames, portion different worker calls 911.
But the occurrence rapidly started spreading to a retention unit, besides filled with donations.
"Having the entree to get to them has been challenging, arsenic good arsenic the retention units. There's worldly and worldly stored successful beforehand of them," Fresno Fire Public Information Officer Josh Sellers said.
It took occurrence crews much than 3 hours to enactment out. But astir 3 a.m. Friday morning, a 2nd occurrence started not excessively acold from the archetypal one. Sellers says it was perchance caused by an ember.
Now the Mission is dealing with the damages and fiscal loss.
"From a thrift store value, you're talking possibly $100,000 oregon $200,000 successful product. We astir apt mislaid astir 60 to 70 pallets worthy of product," Dildine said.
"We are not accepting donations close now. Just until further notice," said Sherri White, Fresno Mission's Chief Business Officer.
White tells maine it volition instrumentality a fewer days to cleanable up each the mess. But the store volition stay unfastened during its mean concern hours.
