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East County News Service
Photo courtesy of La Mesa Police via Twitter
August 24, 2022 (La Mesa) – A fire that broke out inside Office Depot in La Mesa today caused over $1 million in damage to the building and its contents, according to Andy McKellar, public information officer for Heartland Fire & Rescue.
Heartland’s firefighters reached the scene within four minutes of the first report of the fire at 4:40 p.m. at 8481 Fletcher Parkway. Soon after, 18 fire crews from San Diego, Lakeside and San Miguel Fire departments provided mutual aid.
La Mesa Police provided traffic management and crowd control. Nearby businesses were evacuated and Fletcher Parkway was shut down between Jackson Drive and Grossmont Center Drive.
“The sprinkler system inside the building did activate and helped to keep the fire in check,” says McKellar. “The blaze was reported knocked down by fire crews at approximately 5:25 p.m.
No serious injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported, however one Office Depot employee was evaluated on scene by paramedics and was subsequently released.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is unclear how long the store will remain closed for repairs.
"We had information that there may have been someone inside starting fires at multiple locations," Chief Nelson said, NBC San Diego reports. "Given the large amount of fire when we showed up, there may be something to that story. Currently, that information has been passed on to law enforcement and they're interviewing our personnel, as well as employees and any other witnesses."
La Mesa Police and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Bomb-Arson unit are investigating.
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