3 structures destroyed by fire at California state prison in Norco

A fire broke out early Saturday morning, May 16, at the state prison in Norco, destroying three structures at the facility.

The blaze was reported around 5:45 a.m. at the California Rehabilitation Center at Fifth and Western avenues, according to a report filed by the prison with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Smoke was observed coming from the prison’s carpentry shop. The prison’s own fire department along with the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and the Corona Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson said.

Two people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported. Some runoff impacted a storm drain, but officials said there were no concerns about the drinking water, the report filed with the state said.

All staff and inmates were issued N95 masks and provided ice and water, the CDCR spokesperson said.

A compromised power pole shut off electricity the facility. Generators were being used to power essential functions at the prison and Southern California Edison was working to restore power as of 7 p.m. Saturday.

A video of the blaze posted on Facebook showed bright orange flames shooting skyward in front of the facility.

Three outlying structures — the carpentry shop, a pest control shed and a lumber storage building — were destroyed in the fire. Inmate housing and programming areas along with the main facilities were not affected, according to the CDCR.

The cause of the fire remained unknown.

The corrections department previously announced it would be closing the Norco prison by this fall. The closure is expected to save the state $150 million annually.

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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 4:47 PM.