By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
A pre-dawn blaze, first reported at 1:34 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, caused extensive damage to the interior of the Sequoia Lodge bunkhouse at the historic Pinecrest Christian Conference Center on the outskirts of Twin Peaks.
The first arriving engine company from San Bernardino County Fire Department reported an active attic fire penetrating the large, two-story lodge building’s roof, with an estimated 50 percent of the attic space fully engulfed with flames. Due to the intensity of the blaze, a second alarm was called in.
The overnight lodge building, which is one of three on the 200-acre property, reportedly houses up to 102 youth and adult visitors. Though it was not immediately known how many persons were occupying the building when it caught on fire, all were quickly and safely evacuated from the blazing inferno overhead.
According to a County Fire news release, firefighters immediately advanced multiple hose lines into the building and initiated an aggressive interior attack. Icy conditions, both on the road and at the scene, hampered firefighting efforts, as did a partial roof collapse which forced crews to retreat while maintaining their offensive attack within the structure.
A vigorous effort by 43 firefighting personnel, including mutual aid assistance from San Manuel and Running Springs Fire Departments, was able to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby structures and bring this stubborn fire under control in about one hour. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.
The cause of the fire, which reportedly resulted in an estimated $1 million in damage, is under investigation.
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