Early Sunday morning, Hemet firefighters extinguished a fully involved commercial dumpster fire that briefly reignited outside the former Big Lots building on East Florida Avenue.
The Hemet Fire Department was initially dispatched at 1:42 a.m. on Aug. 9 to a reported commercial structure fire at 2093 E. Florida Ave. While units were responding to the scene, updated reports clarified that the blaze was confined to a commercial dumpster. All responding apparatus were subsequently canceled with the exception of Engine 5.
Upon arrival, the crew of Engine 5 located a commercial dumpster fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly knocked down the blaze using a combination of water and firefighting foam.
Shortly after the initial knockdown, as the engineer was refilling the fire engine, the contents of the dumpster reignited. Crews quickly re-engaged, fully extinguishing and containing the stubborn fire.
No medical status or casualties were reported at the scene; per standard reporting protocols, any potential injuries associated with this incident remain of unknown severity.
Hemet Police Department officers also responded to the location to file a report. Authorities noted a significant unhoused population in the immediate vicinity, though the exact cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation.
