All but a single building that makes up Ramirez Pallets in Fontana burned Saturday as a fire ripped through a quarter-acre of tightly wrapped wooden pallets. The blaze was fanned by wind gusts up to 25 mph and continued to scorch the yard for several hours. Gordon Tokumatsu reports from Fontana for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on May…
Firefighters put out a fire in a pallet yard in an industrial area of Fontana on Saturday afternoon.
Towering stacks of wooden pallets turned into massive bonfires in the 8300 block of Sultana Avenue (map) at about 3:30 p.m. San Bernardino city and county firefighters climbed atop ladders with high-powered hoses while attempting to put out the blaze.
Smaller spot-fires appeared in nearby brush, as wind could be seen whipping away thick plumes of black smoke and embers. None turned out to be serious.
At least one firefighter suffered minor, heat-related injuries, said Eric Sherwing, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Crews were using bulldozers to fight the blaze, as well as other tactics usually reserved for wildfires.
Firefighters expected to be on-scene well into the evening, Sherwing said. The cause of the fire was not clear.
The yard was part of a family pallet-making business. Employees left hours before the fire began. By the time the flames were knocked down, only a main building and a plant still stood.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
