Fire destroys unfinished buildings at Krikorian site

Staff photos

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Firefighters have put out a fire that destroyed one row of the unfinished buildings on the Krikorian property at Newport Road and Town Center Drive in Menifee. The other row of retail buildings on the corner was also damaged, but there is no apparent damage to the theater walls at the back of the site.

The fire was reported at 5:40 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Cal Fire. Cause of the fire is under investigation. At noon, Newport Road remained closed eastbound between the fire site and Haun Road.

The City of Menifee issued the following statement regarding the fire:

"The City of Menifee is grateful to CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department for protecting the safety of our community through their quick response in putting out the fire on the site, and to the Menifee Police Department and our Public Works and Community Development Departments for helping to secure the area and assist with road lane closures.

"City staff are currently onsite evaluating the damage to the property and are coordinating with the property owner and his contractor to remove portions of the structures that are no longer structurally stable.

"For the last several months, the City of Menifee has been actively engaged in a formal legal process under the City’s Municipal Code to compel the property owner to remove the existing unfinished structures based on code enforcement violations that create a public nuisance in our community. That process will continue moving forward to address the remaining structures on the property. CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire."