MARCH 10 I BERTRAND'S MUSIC I FIRE
Bertrand's Music's San Bernardino Store Catches Fire

Bertrand's Music's original location in San Bernardino, California, caught fire on Feb. 20, after an elderly driver crashed her car into the location's storefront.

The driver, a 94-year-old woman, reportedly told police she was parking her car, a Toyota Camry, when someone cut her off, and she veered into the store. She told police her foot was on the brake the whole time.

"As soon as the car went through the store, it started to smoke," Jeff Bertrand, VP of Bertrand's Music, told Music Inc. "So one of my employees, Cody [Wakefield], immediately ran over to the car and got the driver out, and then Raylina [Espinoza], one of my other employees, called 911.

"Everyone evacuated the store," Bertrand continued. "Right about the time they got outside, the car caught fire. So, they grabbed some fire extinguishers and attempted to put the fire out from the outside of the store — but then as soon as they stopped the fire extinguisher, the flames would come right back.

"Before you know it, the store was up in flames. When the firefighters showed up, it was pretty much a blaze. About two-thirds of the store are completely destroyed."

Bertrand's Music has set up a temporary location at 908 E. Highland Ave, directly behind the damaged San Bernardino store, to continue servicing its Inland Empire customer base.

bertrandsmusic.com