Historic Harris Building in San Bernardino catches fire again – San Bernardino Sun

The San Bernardino County Fire Department responded to a fire at the historic Harris Building early Thursday after it caught fire for the second time in recent months.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find flames coming from the roof of the boarded-up former department store behind a gas station near 3rd and North E streets, a department Facebook post said.

The historic building once housed the Harris Department Store, which opened in 1927. Philip and Herman Harris, two of the three brothers involved in the business, had opened the building to the public years earlier as a dry goods store.

Witnesses outside the building told firefighters that people were trapped inside. A woman was found in an elevator shaft in the basement of the building. She was sleeping when the fire broke out, according to San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesman Eric Sherwin. She was brought to safety unharmed.

Damage to buildings from a July fire posed an obstacle for crew members, prompting them to call for additional help. According to the county fire department, a total of 70 firefighters arrived on scene and took control of the fire two hours after the first crew arrived.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, although Sherwin said it appeared to be human-caused.