CEO stunned after Fresno warehouse fire burns through business. Here is what was lost

Anthony Armour, the CEO of Neighborhood Industries, had been notified of a fire at the Fresno warehouse the company used for its retail and wholesale businesses, primarily Neighborhood Thrift in the Tower District.

Still, he said he found himself at a loss for words early Saturday night as he pulled up and saw Fresno city and county firefighters battling the major commercial fire along Thorne Avenue.

Fire crews said that night that the company’s half of the building was a total loss.

Neighborhood Industries, founded in 2008, employs staff in underserved neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.

It owns and operates several local businesses including the thrift store; Blkmktplc, a vintage boutique; and an electronic and textile recycling operation. The warehouse was used as a storage and distribution center and the company also had an employment and job training center there for 15 employees.

“At times like these it’s extremely important to count our blessings,” Armour said Sunday in a company news release. “We are thankful that the fire departments responded so quickly and grateful that nobody was at the facility and at risk of injury when the fire started.

“We’re going to carry that positive mindset as we work to recover from this setback, and remain committed to fighting for the jobs of the 15 employees directly impacted by this fire, as well as the 30 employees indirectly impacted throughout our organization.”

The warehouse on Thorne, near the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and Roeding Park, also houses Quality Food Distribution.

The fire resulted in what Neighborhood Industries estimated to be a $300,000 loss.

“The warehouse is the first stop for all of the items donated to us, as well as items that we collect for recycling throughout the Valley,” Armour said. “It contains mainly clothing and textiles, along with paper, plastic and metals.”

Downed power lines, water supply were issues

Firefighters continued to work the building and surrounding area overnight, as investigators looked for the fire’s cause.

Sunday morning, the Fresno Fire Department had its arson investigation team on scene including Tessa, its arson K9.

The blaze is believed to have started shortly after 6 p.m. The fire triggered four alarms, and firefighters had to make their way through construction in the area and deal with downed power lines to get to the warehouse.

Small grass fires broke out and there were initial water-supply issues, due to the location of hydrants and the amount of water required to battle the blaze.

“When we arrived initially, we had heavy fire blowing through the roof and the east side of the structure,” Fresno City Fire spokesman Shane Brown said on Saturday.

“We had a grass fire on the east side of the building that was running toward a live rail, so we had to address that.”

The fire was at least the fourth four-alarm blaze this month for the Fresno Fire Department that Brown could recall. The agency had more than three-quarters of its available resources committed to Saturday night’s fire.

During the fire, explosions were heard coming from inside the warehouse. Neighborhood Industries said in its statement that trucks and forklifts and the fuel to power them were stored in the warehouse, but that there were no other hazardous materials on site.

This story was originally published June 27, 2021 at 5:51 PM.