Early Friday morning, fire crews were dispatched to a blaze that erupted within a building on North Garey Avenue and East Center Street in Pomona. According to NBC Los Angeles, although the structure appeared to be empty, ambulances were prepared on standby to quickly assist if there were any individuals found inside the premises.
2ND ALARM STRUCTURE FIRE | BN 15 | E182 | 400 block of Garey Ave #Pomona | Units dispatched 5:24 a.m. #LACoFD First units onscene 5:28 to one story commercial bldg. fire. Upgraded to 2nd alarm 5:36. Defensive attack strategy due to structural degradation. #CenterIC pic.twitter.com/DiL7CMlIKR
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 31, 2025
Engines from the Los Angeles County Fire Department were summoned to the site at 5:24 a.m., as flames were visible piercing through the roof of the establishment. Efforts to manage the inferno swiftly escalated to a second alarm, prompting firefighters to adopt a defensive attack strategy to combat the situation, which was notably necessitated due to the structural degradation of the building. This strategy decision was also shared by the L.A. County Fire Department in a social media post.
CBS Los Angeles reported that the Pomona Police Department has closed several streets in the vicinity to facilitate the firefighting efforts. Specifically, portions of Garey Avenue, between Holt Avenue and Monterey Avenue, as well as Holt Avenue itself, between Gibbs Street and Main Street, and Center Street between Gibbs and Main have been shut down.
Circumstances surrounding the genesis of the fire remain unclear, and officials have yet to make any definitive statements regarding its cause. As a result, surrounding structures are currently not under threat, as per CBS Los Angeles. The situation in Pomona is ongoing, and as crews continue to work to contain the fire, more details are expected to be released once the investigation progresses.
