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Skateboard shop fire creates huge fireballs
RUBIDOUX: Paints and resins caught fire, causing the plumes of smoke visible for miles.
12:00 AM PST on Sunday, December 11, 2005
By SONJA BJELLAND / The Press-Enterprise
RUBIDOUX - Flames destroyed part of a skateboard manufacturing shop Saturday afternoon, creating plumes of smoke that were visible for up to 5 miles. A fireball erupts above a skateboard manufacturing shop in Rubidoux on Saturday after paint and resins were ignited. Two men were spray-painting skateboards around 2:30 p.m. at Service Board Supply on the Flabob Airport grounds when something ignited paints and resins, said Battalion Chief Bill Whitlock, Riverside County Fire Department. The flammables stored in the building in the 4100 block of Mennes Avenue in Rubidoux exploded into massive fireballs as firefighters prepared to tackle the blaze. No one was injured. Flames spread to a power pole and seared nearby palm trees. Airport Manager Leo Doiron said the buildings date back to the mid-40s. "A spot hits these trees, and it's like a Roman candle," Doiron said of the blackened trunks and fronds. Residents said they could feel the heat more than a block away. Some saw flames from 10 blocks away and came to see what happened. The blaze also scorched the main building of Service Board Supply, and Whitlock estimated the damage at $75,000. The company rents the space on the municipal airport grounds that also houses several small businesses, Doiron said. The company has more than 20 years experience in the skateboarding industry, according to its Web site. The roof collapsed in the charred white building, as small fires continued to burn. As firefighters sprayed water, black soot ran down the remainder of the white brick walls. About 35 firefighters worked on the blaze and contained it in about a half hour, Whitlock said. The county had eight fire engines, one ladder truck and one breathing support truck on scene. Riverside County Sheriff's deputies and CHP officers blocked 42nd Street between Mennes Avenue and Twinings Street. The combustible materials also made it more dangerous and difficult for firefighters because they could not immediately enter the inferno, Whitlock said. No one was injured. The fire department also brought out the county's Hazardous Materials unit to make sure chemicals were secured and determine if any spilled into water.