Crews battle massive fire at historic San Bernardino building

Fire crews battled a massive fire at a historic building in San Bernardino Wednesday night, marking the second time a fire was ignited in the building this year.

San Bernardino County Fire crews responded to the Harris Building at 300 N E Street shortly after midnight.

Over 70 fire personnel responded to the scene along with 16 engines and four truck companies. Witnesses told firefighters there were people trapped inside the building.

Crews searched the building and eventually found a woman who was sleeping in an elevator shaft on the basement floor. She was uninjured and escorted to safety. No other occupants were found inside. The flames, which overtook the roof, were extinguished over two hours later. 

Officials confirmed the blaze originated on the fourth floor in an area that had previously burned over the summer in July, marking the second time the historic building was the site of a large fire.

The four-story building, which is nearly 100 years old, opened as a department store in 1927 before closing in 1999. The building has remained abandoned since. Local business owners said the vacant property has attracted squatters and homeless individuals.

“We got word from our security team overlooking the cameras that the Harris Building was on fire again,” said Ryan Stanly, creative director of the Enterprise Building located next door to the Harris Building.

The Stanly Family owns the adjacent Enterprise Building on North E. Street. In May 2022, KTLA previously spoke with them regarding the same issue — constant fires that were reportedly ignited by homeless residents trespassing into the red-tagged building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and has not been confirmed by authorities.

On July 4, firefighters suffered from heat-related illnesses after responding to a large fire at the Harris Building during a record heatwave. The damages from both fires have created a safety hazard for anyone near the structure.

“We’ve had significant roof collapse,” said Eric Sherwin from San Bernardino County Fire. “There is a real-life safety threat to anybody else who may attempt to enter this building. 

In a statement, the city of San Bernardino said they, “took ownership of the former Harris Building last month. Our first action was to secure access to the building on the first floor. It is our understanding that prior to this week's fire, that access to the building was obtained through an upper-level floor. We are taking action to secure those levels as well.”

However, the Stanly family said they’re frustrated over the building’s abandoned state and the effect it has on the Enterprise Building that houses shops and local vendors. Their goal is to revitalize the local San Bernardino community but said their efforts are hampered by the vacant building.

“In the eyes of the community, we’re the historic building, the landmark downtown,” Stanly said. “The grandeur that we’ve brought — over 75,000 people in just seven years. The least [the city] can do is have street lights and clean up after the fire.”

A San Bernardino city spokesperson said there are no concrete plans for the future of the Harris Building or the connected former Carousel Mall property which shuttered in 2017. Before it was demolished in 2023, the vacant mall was the site of break-ins and several fires caused by homeless squatters, according to the San Bernardino Sun.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by San Bernardino County Fire’s Office of the Fire Marshal.