Fire crews responded yesterday afternoon to a vegetation fire in the area of W. 9th Street and N. F. Street in San Bernardino. When crews arrived, they found the fire had extended past the vegetation and into the basement of the Iglesia Cristiana Bautista Christian Baptist Church.
Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire conditions and worked to suppress the fire with multiple hose lines. Despite their best efforts, the fire continued to grow, forcing an operational retreat. Firefighters transitioned to the outside & concentrated their efforts on limiting the fire to the building of origin.
It took more than two hours to knock the fire down. Despite firefighter’s best efforts, the church was significantly damaged by the fire. Due to structural instability, an emergency tear down process was initiated with San Bernardino Code Enforcement.
One firefighter was injured and transported by ambulance to an area hospital. No additional injuries were noted. The fire’s cause remains under investigation by San Bernardino County Fire Department investigators.
San Bernardino County Fire responded with ten Engines, three Truck Companies, two Medic Squads, an Ambulance, an Incident Rehab unit, three Fire Investigators, four Chief Officers and a logistical support team. Rialto and Colton Fire assisted with the incident.