Crime & Safety

Smoke Engulfs Downtown Lake Elsinore Building; Firefighters Answer The Call

While the search and rescue efforts were harrowing at times, everyone escaped the structure unharmed and the event never actually posed a threat to firefighters or victims.

Several victims were rescued from a smoked-filled single-story old brick building located on Main Street in downtown Lake Elsinore Monday morning. Four fire departments from across the area responded to the call, and 22 firefighters were on the scene.

While the search and rescue efforts were harrowing at times, everyone escaped the structure unharmed and the event never actually posed a threat to firefighters or victims.

The incident, it turns out, was well planned ahead of time: It was part of a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department live training exercise that focused on safety rescue techniques for firefighters.

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Lake Elsinore Battalion 2 and Menifee Battalion 13 took part in the exercise, which included firefighters from McVicker Park Station No. 85, Lakeland Village Station No. 11, El Cariso Station No. 51, and Menifee Station No. 76.

According to Jody Hagemann, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman, the exercise provided valuable training for firefighters and paramedics.

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

Inside the structure, fire captains mocked up a real-life emergency situation in multiple rooms using simulated non-toxic smoke, dummy victims, obstacles, security doors, loose wires and scattered debris.

During the exercise, firefighters had to enter the building, site unseen, to find and rescue the dummy victims. Using their learned skills and available tools, the firefighters crawled along the structure’s floor, searching for victims just like a real-life incident.

Visibility inside the building was near zero, and slippery hazardous footing was throughout.

Capt. Dan Harris of the Lakeland Village Station oversaw the exercise, and was on-hand to provide immediate critique and education.

“Multi-company drills like this occur across the county every week,” explained Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Mike Smith. “We are just fortunate that the city let us use this building today.

“This looks easier than it really is,” Smith continued. “Imagine wearing 60 pounds of gear, with zero visibility, difficult breathing conditions and heat. That’s what our firefighters face every day. This type of training reminds us of what we need to be doing.”

According to Lake Elsinore City Planning/Redevelopment Analyst Justin Carlson, the vacant building used for Monday's training, which is located on the corner of Peck and Main streets, is owned by the city and is scheduled to be torn down. Demolition bids are set to go out shortly; redevelopment plans for the site have yet to be determined.


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