FIREFIGHTERS SAVE BUILDERS SUPPLY IN TWENTYNINE PALMS

Updated 1-31 8 a.m. with origin of fire.

The Builders Supply hardware store in Twentynine Palms escaped serious damage in a fire Wednesday night thanks to a quick and effective attack by firefighters.

Multiple calls reported the fire in the 6800 block of Adobe Road at 6:47 p.m. Heavy smoke and flames were visible for blocks. Robert Benavidez, a Marine who had just left a barber shop down the road, saw the flames and with another man, stopped to try and put out the flames on a back patio with a fire extinguisher. They quickly realized, however, that a fire extinguisher was not up to the job. Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley firefighters were on the scene just minutes later, joined later by Joshua Tree, Yucca Mesa, Yucca Valley, and the Combat Center. Due to the heavy fire involvement and the possibility of the fire spreading to the lumber yard, County Fire Battalion Chief Dan Filter called in a second alarm, although fire crews from Victorville were cancelled before they arrived. Lucerne Valley firefighters were called to cover Yucca Valley while firefighters were at the scene.

Firefighters found an attached patio at the rear of the building well involved with fire, and the fire had spread into the store and the attic. Due to the quick actions of firefighters, the majority of the contents of the business were saved; however, there was significant damage to the patio, attic, and rear of the building’s interior. There were no injuries. The point of origin appears to be a soda machine in the patio break area.