Riverside Fire Department

Columbia Incident



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Incident Name: Columbia Incident

Date Reported: 7/5/2020

Time Reported: 0159

Incident Location: 400 Block of Columbia, Riverside, CA 92501

Ward #: Ward 1 Edwards

Type of Incident: Vegetation Fire

Incident Number: RIV Incident #20-019012

Control Time: 7/5/2020 at 0330 Hours

Fatalities:

Critical:

Moderate:

Minor:

Non Injury:

Displaced Persons:

Loss:

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Cause:

  • Intentional
  • Evacuations:

    Evacuation Comments:



    Resources Assigned


    Chief Officer(s): 2

    Engine Companies: 6

    Truck Companies:

    Squad(s):

    Ambulance(s):

    Firefighter(s): 21

    Safety Officer(s):

    Public Information Officer(s):

    Fire Investigator(s):

    Overhead Personnel:

    Mutual Aid:

    Specialized Equipment:

    EOC:

    Utilities:

    Red Cross:

    Percent (%) Contained or Completed: 100

    Total (%) of Perimeter that will be Contained: 100

    Incident Size Acreage: 2


    Current Situation


    (Recent updates are posted at the top of the Current Situation)

    On July 5 at 1:59 a.m., The City of Riverside Fire Department responded a first alarm vegetation fire response to the 400 Block of Columbia Ave for reports a fire on the hillside behind the Nordstrom’s Warehouse.  Firefighters arrived to find a two-acre vegetation fire off of the Serpentine Truck trail burning into the Box Springs Preserve located in the City of Riverside.  A second alarm was immediately requested due to the remoteness and they immediate need to have two brush trucks to mitigate the fire.

     

    Firefighters had a difficult time in making access due to the Serpentine Truck Trail being degraded from weather erosion.  The incident commander was able to guide in one engine company and stop the progress of the fire from establishing on the hillside.  The main access road did not have the fire department access locks and the locks that we did not have keys to where cut off for the brush truck to make access to on the service road below the Serpentine Truck Trail. 


    The fire was held to two acres.  There was an abandoned pick-up truck stuck on a large boulder that was reported joy riding and lighting off fireworks from witnesses at a nearby homeless encampment.  The vehicle information was given to RPD.  The fire was undetermined after investigation. 


    Assisting Aid Agencies



    Incident Commander: Bruce Vanderhorst

    Prepared By: Bruce Vanderhorst

    Date / Time Posted: 07/06/2020 0820

    Information Center: 951.826.5321