A stubborn three-alarm fire tore through part of a commercial building in El Cajon on Monday night, destroying a popcorn business, a fire official said.
The blaze was reported shortly after 7:20 p.m. at the concrete-block building on Fayette Street near West Bradley Avenue, which housed several businesses. When fire crews arrived, they saw flames shooting in the air and officials quickly called for a second alarm. Within a half hour, a third alarm was called, summoning additional firefighters and equipment. In all, about 80 firefighters from El Cajon, San Diego, Santee, Lakeside and San Miguel fire agencies responded, said Heartland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Andy McKellar. Crews were on site until midnight.Because of the size of the fire, crews took a defensive stance, pouring water on the flames from outside the building with the main goal of keeping it from spreading, McKellar said.
McKellar said fire crews were able to save about 75 to 80 percent of the building, keeping the fire mostly contained to the popcorn business. Other businesses may have been affected by smoke and water damage, he said.He said the fire was fueled by flammable items used in the manufacturing of popcorn, including plastic bags used to package the product, as well as oil and the popcorn itself. The roof of the building collapsed at one point, McKellar said.