"I was planning on being here tomorrow at 9 A.M. to play ball but that's not going to happen given the circumstances," Carlson says.
Fresno Fire received reports of a structure fire around 4:30 Tuesday morning.
"When we first arrived there was a representative that had just shown up preparing to open up the building for business this morning," says Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Brian Downs.
Valley conditions posed a challenge for the more than 40 firefighters battling the blaze that took an hour and a half to knock out.
"It was real foggy at night so the visibility was really limited as we approached the building. So we could tell there was a lot of smoke coming from the roof, but with the fog, it was really hard to see," Chief Downs said.
Visibility down to one-eighth of a mile in the Fresno area this morning, making the distinction between fog and smoke difficult for fire crews upon arrival.
When the smoke cleared, all that remained was debris and ash. Carlson hopes to return to the sport he loves right away, "We'll be back playing ball hopefully sooner than later."
The CEO tells Action News they are waiting to hear back from fire officials about the official cause of this morning's fire. Until then, they are uncertain whether or not Valley Fitness will open its doors.
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