Update: Fifth alarm called as Salvation Army store on McHenry in Modesto burns
Crews are battling a blaze at The Salvation Army Family Thrift Store and Donation Center on McHenry Avenue at Bangs Avenue in north Modesto.
Reports of the fire came in shortly after 2 p.m. By about 2:50 p.m., a fourth alarm was sounded for the commercial structure fire, calling additional resources to the scene. Less than an hour later, a fifth alarm was issued.
Northbound McHenry iss closed at Pelandale Avenue, and traffic is backed up in all directions in the area. At 3:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol posted on its incident information page that the traffic closure is expected to last three to four hours between Pelandale and Bangs.
Smoke was pouring from the back of the building. Perhaps 10 firetrucks are on scene, as well as other emergency vehicles, including at least one ambulance. Responding agencies included the Modesto, Turlock and Stanislaus Consolidated fire departments, the county Sheriff’s Office, the CHP and American Medical Response.
The fire was in the warehouse area of the building and there were no injuries, according to Salvation Army Maj. Sylvan Young and Ron Simi, who leases the building to The Salvation Army.
“Anything that was back there is gone,” Young said. “It’s a lot of donations that got taken away, so obviously any donations anybody would like to bring us would be greatly appreciated to keep things moving.”
The store was open at the time of the fire, with salespeople in the front and a couple of staff in the warehouse. There is no immediate information on how much damage the building sustained. “Way too early to tell,” Simi said.
Around 4 p.m., firefighters were entering the building to make an interior attack. Equipment including a forklift was being moved into the area, probably to move donation bins and other things around in the warehouse to get at hot spots.
The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.
The 35,000-square-foot building, the former Simi Floral Supply Center, has been home to the thrift store since April 2019. It replaced the Salvation Army’s older, smaller store on Yosemite Boulevard.
At the time of the 4418 McHenry store’s opening, The Bee reported that all funds raised in the Modesto thrift store go toward its Stockton Adult Rehabilitation Center, the group’s residential drug addiction program. The 80-bed facility is open to those seeking help across Northern California.
This is a developing story. It is being updated as information is available.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 3:10 PM.
