Fire At Gables Alta Murrieta Apartment Complex Quickly Contained

MURRIETA, CA — A fire at a Murrieta apartment complex was quickly contained early Tuesday morning, which helped save lives and prevent extended damage.

The fire was reported at 12:47 a.m. at the Gables Alta Murrieta in the 39000 block of Whitewood Road. Murrieta Fire and Rescue Station 3 is located directly across from the apartment complex, so firefighters arrived quickly at the scene.

Crews determined the heavy smoke was coming from a vehicle in the first-floor garage of a three-story apartment building at the facility, according to a photo journalist who was at the scene.

Crews quickly attacked the blaze and knocked it down in about 10 minutes. The building was equipped with a fire sprinkler system, which helped keep the flames from spreading, according to the photo journalist.

Murrieta Police Department officers assisted with evacuations at the complex, but firefighters confirmed the blaze did not extend into any of the apartment units. A large ventilation fan was used to move smoke from the building, and several residents were permitted to return to their apartments a short time later, the photo journalist reported.

Crews remained at the scene for approximately an hour to overhaul the fire and remove burned contents from the garage.

No injuries were reported, and it was not immediately known whether any residents were displaced as a result of the fire.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.