Updated

Updated · Santa Clarita Valley Signal · Aug 24

3-Alarm Fire Destroys Newhall Refinery, Damaging Main Theatre and Main Street Block

Updated

Updated · Santa Clarita Valley Signal · Aug 24

3-Alarm Fire Destroys Newhall Refinery, Damaging Main Theatre and Main Street Block

Q: What sparked the massive overnight inferno that wiped out beloved landmarks and exposed the hidden dangers of Newhall's historic district?

The fire’s cause had not been determined as of the latest official reports, so investigators had not yet said what sparked it. What is clear is that the blaze broke out around 2:54 to 3 a.m. on Main Street and appears to have started in or near one of the commercial buildings before racing through adjoining structures. Some early coverage said it was initially believed to have started at The Newhall Refinery, while later reporting from ABC7 and fire officials indicated it began at an auto body shop and then spread to the restaurant, The MAIN theater and other businesses. Authorities were still investigating, so that point remained unsettled. The fire grew so destructive because of conditions in Old Town Newhall’s historic district. Officials and fire observers said the block’s older, tightly packed buildings allowed flames to move quickly from one business to the next. Those aging structures also carried a higher risk of wall collapse, forcing firefighters into a defensive strategy rather than sending crews deep inside. More than 100 firefighters responded to the three-alarm emergency, and by morning much of the block had been heavily damaged or destroyed. No injuries were reported, but the fire exposed a major vulnerability in the district: century-old commercial buildings, close together and harder to defend once flames gain momentum.

3 articles · Updated · Santa Clarita Valley Signal · Aug 24

More than 100 firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze that destroyed The Newhall Refinery early Monday and damaged The Main Theatre, Care Tucker Style House and other Old Town Newhall businesses.
The fire was first reported at 2:54 a.m. on the 24200 block of Main Street, and officials had not announced a cause more than six hours later as flames continued into the morning commute.
An entire block on one side of Main Street was reported heavily impacted, prompting closures of Main, Sixth, Eighth, Railroad and Newhall avenues and a city warning for residents to avoid the area.
Older buildings in the district forced crews into a defensive strategy because of collapse risks, while officials and residents called the damage a major blow to the heart of Santa Clarita's arts and business district.
No injuries were reported, but the loss threatens a restaurant opened in 2013 and a city-run theater operated since 2017, leaving upcoming Old Town events uncertain.