Salvation Army donations go up in flames in Fresno fire. It has happened before
Pallets containing items donated to Salvation Army went up in flames Wednesday evening near Highway 41 and Ventura Avenue in Fresno.
It’s the second time in four years that there has been a major fire at the yard.
Shane Brown, public information officer with the Fresno City Fire Department, said the crew of Engine 8 from the station at Cedar and Butler avenues was in the area training when members saw the smoke just after 5 p.m. Soon, equipment including a ladder truck was rolling to the scene.
Smoke – first black, then shifting to gray as firefighters poured on water – rose high over the industrial area just south of downtown.
The fire spread to grass along the property but crews were able to keep it from reaching neighboring property.
Brown said no injuries were reported. There was no immediate word about the cause or estimated cost of damage.
The previous fire at the Salvation Army yard in August 2016 destroyed a collection of electronic waste and sent a large plume of black smoke into the air. That fire was deemed accidental – the electronics overheated and set packing material ablaze – and its cost was set at $5,000.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 6:21 PM.
