Crime & Safety

Firefighters Save Historic Naval Academy In Lake Elsinore From Flames

At press time, there are no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire is not immediately known.

A small brush fire was reported late Friday afternoon near the historic and long-vacant Elsinore Naval and Military School on Grand Avenue.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson said the blaze was reported at 4:25 p.m. and was quickly contained by 4:54 p.m.

At press time she was awaiting word on total acreage burned, but said by 4:45 p.m. firefighters had stopped the forward rate of spread on the blaze at 1 acre.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There was no structure damage and no reports of injury.

Hendrickson said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Located on Grand Avenue at the Ortega in Lake Elsinore, theĀ Elsinore Naval and Military School was constructed in 1923, but was originally designed as a luxury resort. A bankruptcy eventually led to the sale of the building to Major Glen Conklin, who along with his wife Pearl, turned it into the Elsinore Naval and Military School for boys in 1933.

The school, often referred to as simply "the Academy," thrived well into the 1970s before it was shuttered.

The property was purchased in 2004 by Temecula-based land development firm The Garrett Group, and at last check the company still owns it.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Click here for the story on a fire reported at a homeless encampment earlier in the day.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

Weā€™ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.