BEAUMONT: Firefighters battle two-alarm fire at lumber yard
BEAUMONT – A two-alarm fire in a silo at a lumber yard brought emergency first responders from multiple agencies Dec. 3. The blaze was reported at Priority Pallet in the 1000 block of East Third Street in Beaumont about 9:19 a.m.
38 firefighters from 10 engine companies battled this morning’s blaze. Cal Fire photo
This morning’s fire was the second major blaze at a pallet company in Riverside County in the last two weeks. The previous fire occurred at GPC Pallet Friday, Nov 18. November’s three-alarm fire destroyed two acres of pallets and took 58 Firefighters from 18 engine companies more than seven hours to bring the blaze under control.
Fire officials have not announced any connection between the two fires; however both remain under investigation.
Firefighters spent just over an hour containing today’s fire to a single silo and brought the blaze under control about 10:30 a.m.
38 Cal Fire/Riverside County and Cal Fire San Bernardino firefighters from 10 engine companies responded to the morning blaze after fire officials received multiple 911 calls from citizens reporting the fire, according to Cal Fire spokeswoman April Newman. They were assisted by a Breathing Support Unit.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control in just over an hour. Cal Fire photo
Firefighters arrived on scene at the large lumber facility and found one silo on fire. The blaze was threatening the entire lumber facility as well as nearby trees and foliage.
Fire officials summoned Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Company to the business to turn off the location’s utilities while firefighters fought the blaze.
California Highway Patrol officials were notified due to 20-30 mile per hour winds in the area after smoke from the blaze threatened to impact traffic on Interstate 10.
After the fire was knocked down, fire resources remained on scene for several hours for extensive overhaul.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Northbound aerial view overlooking Priority Pallet in Beaumont.
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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.