A five-alarm fire swept through two large buildings in the Richards Boulevard area this morning, destroying a party décor business and gutting a warehouse.
The blaze on Dos Rios Street at Richards Boulevard was first reported at 1:56 a.m.
Flames were shooting 100-feet in the air when firefighters arrived. It took three hours to control the blaze and at daybreak water was still being directed into the structure and smoke was billowing into the sky.
Eventually, firefighters from not only Sacramento City Fire Department but also West Sacramento Fire Department and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were called into battle the blaze.
Even with so many trucks and firefighters on scene, crews were limited to taking a defensive posture to put the fire out. Instead of risking the lives of firefighters by sending them into the two warehouse-type structures at 601 and 701 Dos Rios St., water was poured on the fire from above with nozzles mounted on firetruck ladders.
"The building was well-involved with flames that were through the roof upon arrival," said Sacramento City Fire Battalion Chief Craig Wiedenhoeft.
At the height of the blaze, eight aerial trucks were directing water from above through the burned out top of the 701 Dos Rios Road warehouse, which had a "For Sale or Lease" sign at the front.
The fire destroyed the adjacent Party Concierge business, 601 Dos Rios, belonging to Lawrence and Susan Crane, who hurried to the scene. Party Concierge supplied event décor, including ice carving, balloons, centerpieces and stage sets.
"We had 30,000-square-feet of props," said Lawrence Crane. "Now they are all gone. It is a complete loss. They have not told us any cause."
He said that most of 701 Dos Rios was filled with debris before the fire.
PHOTO (1) CREDIT: Firefighters hit hot spots from overhead at a warehouse on Dos Rios Road. A five-alarm fire destroyed a Richards Boulevard area warehouse early Monday. The fire destroyed a long-time local business, The Party Concierge, which occupied 40,000 square feet of the warehouse. Randy Pench, Sacramento Bee.
PHOTO (2) CREDIT: Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee.
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