Oceanside CA— Early this morning, December 9, 2021, just after midnight , Oceanside Fire Department units responded to a commercial building with a single report of smoke inside and a smell of burning rubber. Four minutes after the initial alarm, the first engine, Engine 218 (E218), arrived and found a single-story standalone commercial building with smoke coming from the roof and entrance to the building. Arriving units were deployed with hose lines into the business to evaluate conditions and locate the fire.

Interior crews encountered increasing quantities of smoke, significantly reducing visibility while advancing into the structure. As a result, Truck 126 (T126) and Truck (T217) gained access to the roof to cut a ventilation hole to release the building of the super-heated smoke and gasses. The tactic would then allow the interior crews better visibility and working conditions, allowing them to advance on the fire.
Interior crews continued to encounter significant quantities of smoke, heat, decreased visibility, and could hear the sound of fire involvement above them but could not locate any flames. At 25 minutes, all crews were pulled off the roof and from the interior as a significant risk of roof involvement existed.

Crews used large hose lines from the ground to douse the fire from the outside. Partial roof collapse began as the two trucks on scene raised their aerial waterway and flowed water through the roof.
Collapse zone where established allowing crews to operate from a safe area as they worked towards extinguishing the blaze.
It took four hours to extinguish the fire, given the size, void spaces, and safety measures as the fire continued to spread through the roof structure and load-bearing walls. Partial wall collapses occurred on all four sides, and the roof ultimately collapsed completely. The cause remains under investigation. Fortunately, there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
Mutual Aid was provided by the Carlsbad and Vista Fire Departments.