Opinion: Large Fire Impacts Riverside Businesses, Overwhelms Fire Department Resources

A March 16 fire in Riverside's Northside neighborhood that began as a roof fire at a fencing company on North Main Street was whipped by strong Santa Ana winds and quickly became a major conflagration affecting four adjoining businesses and spreading to vegetation on the former Ab Brown Soccer Complex and Riverside Golf Course properties. The cause is still under investigation, but it seems clear the fire's origin was at the Fenceworks fencing company facility. Strong north winds quickly blew the fire into the adjoining AL Pallet Company and then into Benchmark Asset Recovery and Honeycutt Companies properties. AL Pallet Company was largely destroyed by the fire. Benchmark Asset Recovery and Honeycutt Companies both lost numerous vehicles, while buildings likely suffered heat and smoke damage.

The AL Pallet, Benchmark Asset Recovery and Honeycutt Companies business properties are all leased from Winship Properties, a fifth generation Riverside family owned business. This property does not have water or sewer service from the City of Riverside, and electric service has not been restored after the fire as of this writing. The Winship property is served by a well which is not operable without electric service, so the entire property is without water, sewer and electricity.

Between the affected companies about 60 employees face uncertain futures as their employers contemplate rebuilding.

With the significant fuel load from the pallet yard and the strong winds there was a high risk of the fire spreading a significant distance into the community. Nearby businesses were evacuated and Reid Park, across the old golf course from the fire, was closed. Ultimately almost 22 acres of vegetation were burned on the old soccer and golf course properties.

Riverside's fire department was quickly overwhelmed by the demands of fighting this fire while also dealing with the ordinary set of calls for service. Seventeen of Riverside's 21 fire engines and trucks were committed to the fire and major mutual aid was required for the fire itself.

Riverside County Fire/Cal Fire provided 10 fire engines, a Chief Officer, a bulldozer and a water dropping helicopter. The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District provided 10 fire engines, one ladder truck, a hand crew and an excavator to move debris and allow access to hot spots after the main fire was knocked down.

The Corona Fire Department, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, and Riverside County Fire/CalFire provided personnel and units to staff Riverside City Fire Stations where units and staff were on the fire. During the time Riverside Fire Department units and personnel were committed to this fire outside agencies backfilling Riverside fire stations responded to 15 other incidents and 29 medical aid calls were responded to only by American Medical Response, our local emergency ambulance company. In normal circumstances at least some of these calls would have had a fire department response as well.

I am switching now from reporting what happened to an opinion and an appeal. We have to recognize that it is only mid-March, still technically winter. We celebrated Saint Patrick's Day with 100 degree temperatures. Fire season is pretty much every day all year long unless it is actively raining. A recent study by AP Triton, a well-respected fire service analytical company, found our fire department needs to add 84 firefighters, two new fire stations, rebuild/expand four other fire stations and acquire the equipment to support the personnel and stations as soon as possible. This will require money our city does not have.

Measure Z, the 1% sales tax increase passed by voters in 2016 is fully committed for several years into the future. About 70% of Measure Z money has gone to public safety, with the majority going to the police department to finally get it to full staffing. The fire department got new equipment, but no additional personnel and no new fire stations. Most of the remainder of Measure Z money has gone to street paving, tree trimming, parks, libraries and our museum.

The City Council unanimously voted to place a measure on the June ballot to extend Measure Z from its current 2036 expiration date and to add .25% additional sales tax to help fund the pressing fire department needs. It behooves all of us to give this measure serious consideration. Our fire department is exceptional, and they work extremely hard to keep us safe, but they are literally overwhelmed.

Three of our firefighters were injured in this fire. They put their lives on the line every day. We need to help them help us.

I am happy to spend an extra 25 cents on a $100 taxable purchase to accomplish this. Are you?