Costa Mesa, Calif. – Fire departments that successfully fought a four-alarm industrial blaze received commendations from the Mesa Water Board of Directors at its December 8 meeting.

At 2:30 a.m. on November 11, 2016, the fire at 864 Production Place in Newport Beach was reported to local authorities, resulting in a mutual aid response by four city fire departments.

“The first responders from the cities of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach have our utmost respect in their daily work to protect our community. Thanks to their coordinated efforts, this massive fire resulted in no loss of life. We thank them for their courageous service to protect our community,” said Mesa Water Board President Shawn Dewane. “Mesa Water will always do what it can to assist emergency personnel with the resources needed to keep our communities safe.”

Forty-two firefighters worked to suppress the fire over 40 hours. Twenty-eight fire suppression vehicles were on site to fight the fire, pulling water from Mesa Water hydrants. The District was contacted at 3:07 a.m. to assist with water pressure. Staff successfully met the water pressure needs to fight the massive industrial blaze.

Prior to the fire, Mesa Water’s Karl Kemp Reservoir was filling at a rate of 4,000 gallons per minute (gpm), per standard operating procedure. During emergency response, fire engines are capable of pumping up to 1,200 gpm, which can lead to fluctuations in water pressure in the system. Mesa Water production staff monitored demands to maintain constant, predetermined pressure. While water was being used to fight the blaze, pressure adjusted and continued filling Mesa Water’s reservoirs to meet daily water demands.

“Our water system responded very well, which is what we plan for and expect. At the height of the fire, the system lost just 12 pounds of pressure. This demonstrates that our system is well maintained and ready for an emergency. We are proud to work side by side with our local fire departments to keep our communities safe and fire insurance costs low for the area,” Dewane added.