LA QUINTA: Three-alarm fire causes $2 million in damage at La Quinta area country club

LA QUINTA – A three-alarm fire structure fire at the Andalusia Country Club caused about $2 million in damage Sunday night, Jan. 15. There were no reported citizen or firefighter injuries associated with the blaze.

The fire was reported in the Andalusia Country Club’s golf course clubhouse about 10:50 p.m., in the 59000 block of Marbella in La Quinta. The golf course and country club are west of Monroe Street and south of 58th Avenue.

Last night’s fire was the second major fire at a La Quinta area country club in the last eight days. On Saturday, Jan. 7, a two-alarm fire broke out at Citrus Club at La Quinta Resort in the 50000 block of Mandarina. Fire officials estimated the fire loss at Citrus Club to be about $250,000, however they saved about $10 million dollars from the remaining portions of the structure. The two country clubs are located less than six miles apart from each other.

Forty-four firefighters from ten engine companies and two truck companies spent just over two hours extinguishing the fire, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Public Information Officer Tawny Castro. They were assisted by a breathing support unit.

“The first arriving engine company reported smoke coming from a ten-thousand-square foot commercial structure and requested a second alarm,” Castro explained.

Firefighters began an aggressive attack on the blaze and found themselves battling an “active fire in the sub floor of the building,” according to Castro.

Based on the severity of the fire and the size of the structure, the on-scene incident commander called for a third alarm and requested four additional engine companies and an additional chief officer to the location.

Southern California Gas Company and Imperial Irrigation District officials were summoned to the scene while firefighters continued battling the blaze.

Firefighters reportedly had the fire contained just before 1 a.m.

Resources were expected to remain at the scene of the fire for at least one hour for extensive overhaul and mop-up operations.

Although the fire loss was estimated about $2 million, Castro explained firefighting efforts saved an additional $10 million in property from being damaged or destroyed.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

 

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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.