Strip Mall Blaze Destroys Church and Cleaners in Santa Clarita

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Dec. 23 (KNN) — A large inferno consumed a strip mall containing a church location and a cleaners as firefighters worked to gain the upper hand.

The blaze was first reported at 12:43 a.m. Saturday, on the 25800 block of Tournament Road in Santa Clarita’s Valencia neighborhood, south of McBean Parkway.

Significant smoke enveloped the surrounding area as flames tore through the building.
Fire crews eventually declared knockdown at 2:19 a.m.

Fred Fielding, Public Information Officer with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said the fire had already come through the roof of the structure as firefighters arrived at the scene. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm fire at that point in order to get additional crews to the location.

Firefighters were able to keep the number of heavily damaged units to four out of the 10 units in the complex, said Fielding.

Arson investigators were en route as of 2 a.m. and the Department of Building and Safety was also requested to the scene.

Austin Dave, Video Journalist / KNN