6 businesses forced to close after 3-alarm fire at vacant Indio grocery store

Cal Fire has contained a 3-alarm structure fire in Indio. Officials said the building is a 10,000 square-foot vacant building, which was previously housed by Lucky’s grocery store.

The fire was reported at 9:11 a.m. and firefighters had it contained by about 12:30 p.m.

The roof of the building collapsed due to fire damage.

The building is located in the 45600 block of Rubidoux Street, across from the Cardenas and next to the AMPM convenience store. The shopping center is alongside Highway 111.

Firefighters said they stopped the forward progress of the fire around 11 a.m. and they continued to douse the flames until 12:30 p.m.

KESQ/CBS Local 2 viewers began sending us photos of the fire as thick, black smoke and massive flames filled the skyline. The fire grew in size quickly.

No injuries have been reported.

There are several buildings in the shopping center and minimal water damage was sustained by some businesses on one side of the vacant building.

“It’s remarkable that it happened so fast and so intense,” said building owner John Wessman.

The fire burning so hot, it sent up thick black billowing smoke that could be seen for miles.

“I think it’s pretty horrible because we have AM PM with a lot of gas right there. Any little embers could fly over here and blow the whole place up,” said onlooker Roman Aguiar.

“We saw firefighters above the fire and one the ladders just fighting the fire, the trees were on fire, the building was breaking, it was crazy,” said onlooker Travis Karus.

Angel Barrious and his co-workers worked at one of the businesses in the area evacuated.

“We were scared because we had people, we had patients in our lobby,” said Barrious.

Once a Lucky’s grocery store, the 10,000 square foot building sat empty the last 8 years, but Wessman said he made plans to change that.

“We are actually working with a couple people right now to put a gym in there you just never know right what is going to happen tomorrow,” said Wessman.

Fire crews stopped the fire from spreading to five adjacent businesses but it was not enough to save the integrative of structure. City building inspectors condemned the building and red tagged the businesses.

“The big walls are buckling so they all have to come down, it was a very intense hit fire,” said Wessman.

“We are wasting a lot of water too. We are in a drought, we don’t need to be wasting all this water here like this,” said Aguiar.

Fire crews did what they could to conserve water.

“Obviously they are using minimal amounts while extinguishing it at the same time. You’ve got to use water to put out the fire,” said Michelle Caldwell, Riverside County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services.

Firefighters also used foam which uses less water to fight these types of fires. The city of Indio brought in bulldozers to help attack the fire from the inside.

“Anytime this happens it’s a sad day, but you just go on, we clean it up take it down and build something else,” said Wessman.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Photos: Massive 3-alarm fire sparks in Indio