Three fire departments work to extinguish California building fire

California City Fire Department Chief Allen Smith said the cause of the fire on 300 N High St is still unknown. He said it was difficult to put out due to the age of the building and its heavy timber construction.

“Its always had me concerned and last night it happened,” Allen Smith said. “As I was coming to the scene I knew it was going to be bad. I was a couple blocks away and I could already smell the smoke.”

His department received the call about the fire around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jun 24.

Allen Smith said fire crews entered the building but conditions worsened. Crews evacuated for their safety.

“No building is worth any of our lives,” he said.

The California City Fire Department, California Rural Fire Protection District and Jamestown Rural Fire Protection District all worked through the night to put out the fire. Crews continued to extinguish flames for more than 12 hours.

The building is owned by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Past president, Rick Smith, said the organization formed in 1982 and has used the building since the 1990s.

“When I got the call at about 11 last night, I hoped for the best,” Rick Smith said. “But when I drove up I could tell.”

Rick Smith said he is very thankful for the fire crews which are all volunteers. He said some of the firefighters worked to put out the fire through the night and then had to go to their day jobs in the morning.