At 2:02 a.m. on Sunday, a fire was reported at the Sugar Mill, 11801 Sugar Mill Rd. The fire was considered extinguished until a following call came in at 9:40 a.m. Monday, according to Rick Tillery, public information officer at Mountain View Fire Rescue.
According to Tillery, the fire was considered to be out on Sunday but materials were considered to smolder overnight. The Monday morning call indicated that a fire from the smoldering embers reignited. Mountain View Fire is considering the Monday event to be a continuation of the Sunday fire, Tillery said.
Fire crews are on the scene monitoring the event from the outside. In the past, the Sugar Mill has been noted as a hazardous area and not deemed safe for crews to enter unless someone is in danger, according to Tillery. At this time, Mountain View Fire does not have any indication that someone is inside the building or in danger.
Fire crews have responded to several fires at the Sugar Mill over the years — at least one blamed on vandals. The series of fires have damaged the building preventing firefighters from battling fires within the structure.
“There are holes in the stairwells and the interior and exterior walls have been damaged so badly from vandals in the last few years, the stability of the structure is in question,” Doug Saba, deputy fire marshal for Mountain View Fire Rescue told the Leader in the past.
It has long been documented that asbestos, abandoned electric transformers and underground wells have been found on the property. Another concern over the years has included impromptu meth labs that have been established inside the building further jeopardizing the safety of firefighters.
According to a Facebook post by Mountain View Fire, fire crews plan to monitor the fire from outside the building while letting it burn until the materials are gone. Tillery stated that fire crews are “hitting it from the outside” to limit any potential spread.
As of right now, fire crews can’t estimate how long the fire may burn because they are unable to assess how much materials are in the building.
Currently, there fire crews do not know the cause of the fire. According to Tillery, due to the unstable state of the building, it will be determined at another time whether or not an investigation will be conducted to determine its cause.
Tillery stated that Mountain View Fire Rescue does not believe there is an immediate danger to residents. The fire department does recommend that residents close their windows today to limit contact with smoke from the fire. To the department’s knowledge no hazardous materials are burning, Tillery said.
Mountain View Fire Rescue strongly encourages people to stay away from the property as it is an unsafe area.
