Press Release Fire at San Jacinto Mall Place: On Saturday, August 10, 2019, at 6:41 pm, the Baytown Fire Department responded to a reported commercial structure fire at 2000 San Jacinto Mall Place. The fire was in debris on the roof of a part of the mall that was being demolished. The fire area was adjacent to the occupied JC Penney store. Engine 7 arrived on scene to find smoke visible from the roof. A total of five engines, a tower truck, two ambulances, and several support staff responded. Firefighting was complicated by the gap in the roof deck, the fire’s distance from the street, and the weight of the debris. All visible fire was extinguished and the last Baytown Fire unit returned to service at 8:29 pm. Early Sunday morning, August 11, 2019, at 1:19 am, the Baytown Fire Department responded to a rekindle in the same place. Flames were visible in a large pile of ripped up insulation, tar, and corrugated steel on top of the roof. Crews were unable to manually overhaul the site because of weight and safety considerations. At this incident, Engine 7, Engine 5, and Tower 7 operated with Battalion 1 in command and Medic 7 on standby. Crews variously operated an aerial master stream from above and a hand line from below to knock down the fire. As the fire burned, parts of the debris fell away and crews were able to access the concealed spaces where fire had smoldered after the first fire. All fire was extinguished. The last BFD units returned to service at 4:59 am after turning the scene over to mall management and the demolition contractor.
