Magistrate orders deadlines for commercial fire-code violations at local gas stations and office building

The Special Magistrate's June 4 docket included several commercial fire and life-safety enforcement items. For each, the magistrate found a violation and set compliance deadlines with per-day fines for noncompliance.

Sunshine Gasoline, 11173 Sheridan Street. Owner Mario Gomez admitted the violations. Lieutenant Orlando Hurtado, the fire prevention inspector, told the magistrate Sunshine was inspected multiple times in January through April and that several items remained uncorrected as of the June 4 site visit. Klein found a violation and gave Sunshine Gasoline until June 12 to correct three related items (emergency lights, mounted fire extinguisher, and emergency communications between pump and attendant). Klein allowed until June 30 for the business tax receipt to be issued and said, "If the first 3 items are not cured by the twelfth, there will be a $250 a day fine until compliance." He also ordered a $150 administrative fee payable in 30 days. Community Development Director Carlos Vega checked city records during the hearing and told the magistrate there was no business-tax application on file, and the magistrate warned the owner to ensure the home office completes the application.

Pontus / 10050 Sterling Road (gas station). Fire Inspector Hurtado reported multiple reinspections and said the missing exterior emergency shutoff at the main entrance is a critical item. Klein found a violation and set a June 11 compliance deadline, with a $250-per-day fine for failure to comply; he also ordered a $150 administrative fee for the hearing.

Sterling Office Park, Building 3 (9720 Sterling Road). Fire inspection identified a list of deficiencies including storage under egress stairs, storage in a meter room, elevator recall and emergency communication issues, and fire-alarm repairs. Hurtado reported that while some items had been addressed, several critical items, including an apparent false-future inspection sticker on the elevator's recertification tag, remained open. Klein found the violations and ordered the property to cure items 3 through 7 by June 11; he set a $250-per-day fine for continued noncompliance and a $150 administrative fee payable in 30 days. Klein asked that inaccurate inspection tags be corrected in the order.

The magistrate included standard language authorizing fines and potential closure actions if critical life-safety conditions persisted, but did not order immediate shutdowns in these cases because inspectors characterized the conditions as non-imminent public-safety threats if corrected by the deadlines.

The city will re-inspect and report compliance at the scheduled follow-ups.