Splash Kingdom “pyramid” destroyed by 3-alarm fire

May 3, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Saturday, June 6, 12:47 p.m., With additional, related details.

REDLANDS, Calif. — Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a 3-alarm commercial structure fire that ripped through a building at the vacant Splash Kingdom water park early Saturday morning, May 2.

No injuries were reported, according to fire officials; who later estimated the loss at $750,000.

SEE RELATED: “Millions in losses” after massive, “highly unusual”, 3-alarm blaze at Amazon distribution center

Saturday’s blaze was the first of two 3-alarm fires to rip through Redlands locations in as many months, followed by a massive blaze that erupted at a distribution center that was home to Kuehne and Nagel; a third-party operator that helps Amazon ship extra-large items to customers.

That “highly unusual” fire caused “hundreds of millions” in damages and inventory losses, officials have since reported.

Although both buildings – which are situated directly adjacent each other, were equipped with fire suppression systems – neither the sprinklers or fire alarms activated in either fires, both of which erupted at 5:30 a.m., according to officials familiar with the two incidents.

Firefighters spent about an hour knocking down Saturday’s blaze, which caused about $750,000 in damages. Redlands FD photo

In addition to Redlands Fire Department, crews from Loma Linda, Rialto, Colton, San Bernardino and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians responded to the blaze, along with an ambulance from American Medical Response and a crew from Southern California Edison, who cut power to the building.

Crews arriving to the 5:30 a.m. blaze found heavy smoke showing from the distinctive pyramid-style structure, which is located adjacent the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 at California St.

“It took firefighters approximately an hour to knock down the blaze,” Redlands Fire officials later explained; saying, “The structure suffered major fire and smoke damage.”

Saturday’s 3-alarm blaze caused major damage to the interior of a distinctive pyramid-shaped structure at the now vacant Splash Kingdom water park. Redlands FD photo

“While the building was equipped with fire sprinklers, the sprinklers didn’t activate,” said officials.

No other structures were damaged, and the cause of both fires remain under investigation.

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Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor 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, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with 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, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.