Fire Department Officials Plan a Hot Time in Downtown Corona

CORONA — Firefighters will battle a rash of house fires in central Corona during the next few days.

“It’s a training exercise to improve some of the newer firefighters’ techniques,” said Ben Blair, battalion chief for the Corona Fire Department.

“The houses were going to be demolished to make room for a new apartment development, and the property owner was gracious enough to allow us to use the houses for these training exercises,” Blair said.

Fire officials plan to set the abandoned houses ablaze on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. They are just east of the Grand Avenue circle on Circle City Drive between Rimpau Avenue and Cedar Street.