RV Fire at Murrieta Dealership Under Investigation

Investigators and management were trying to determine what caused a fire to break out Monday morning in a luxury RV.

The blaze was reported at about 10:08 a.m. at Giant RV, 24700 Madison Ave. in Murrieta.

"A large column of smoke was visible from fire station 1," said Murrieta fire Chief Matt Shobert.

Four engine crews, including one ladder truck, responded and were able to knock the fire completely out by 10:25 a.m., according to Battalion Chief Pat Jennings.

Preliminary investigation revealed the fire broke out in the interior of the RV, an Ambassador by Holiday Rambler valued between $200,000 and $225,000, Jennings said.

"We are not sure if it is a total loss; it is pretty extensive," Jennings said.

Crews stopped the fire from spreading to two adjacent units, which could have caused another $500,000 in damages, Giant RV Finance Manager Carl Messina told Patch.

"They did a great job, the guys from the Murrieta Fire Department are fantastic," Messina said.

Messina was on duty when the fire broke out, and said if the propane tank in the RV would have been ignited, the fire could have been much worse. Fortunately, the propane tank had a safety valve that worked properly, he said.

An investigation was continuing into the exact cause of the fire.

"The guys did a good job responding and kept the damage to the one unit," Chief Shobert said, noting damage was estimated at $125,000.