A nearly 30,000-square-foot building in northeast Manteca was gutted and almost completely destroyed last week when a fire ripped through the structure.

On Friday night just before 10 p.m., the Lathrop Manteca Fire District was dispatched to a structure fire on Verigan Road – located east of Highway 99 just north of Northland Road – and upon making entry discovered that the building was heavily involved with fire.

A second alarm was called and water tenders from Escalon, Montezuma, Ripon Consolidated, and the Collegeville Fire Districts as well as the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority responded to shuttle water to help extinguish the blaze.

Despite their best efforts battling the blaze, crews were forced to retreat and use “defensive fire strategies” due to the heavy fire conditions.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and according to the Lathrop Manteca Fire District, the building was full of appliances and pallets – which when coupled with the rural location of the building added to the difficulty of extinguishing the blaze.

“The fire load in that building with all of the appliances and pallets being packed into the building was pretty significant,” Lathrop Manteca Division Chief Larry Madoski said. “It was definitely not what we are used to seeing in a rural area with no on-site water supply.”

Madoski said that crews on scene discovered some concerns with the electrical that was going to the building. Those on scene identified “unusual tenant improvements” shortly before the incident commander made the decision to pull crews back since the fire was progressing “well past” the initial hose lines that were laid down.

Crews on scene were able to save the adjacent structures and property, but pictures of the nearly 350-foot long building posted by the agency show what appears to be a total loss.

The Stockton Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.