Pramesh Sharma, a Newhall business owner, recently spoke to KHTS about the temporary loss of his business after a commercial fire broke out inside of a strip mall on Sunday.

Sharma serves as the Senior Vice President for American Health Services, and oversaw its Newhall location on the 24000 block of Arch Street before a fire broke out inside the building on the night of Dec. 1.

Knockdown was called on the commercial fire within 20 minutes of Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) officials being dispatched, but in those 20 minutes, the health clinic burned.

The clinic, which offered both behavioral health and medical services, had been open and operating in the Arch Street location since 1995, according to Sharma.

“We are the only community clinic, there is no other community clinic out here,” Sharma said. “And we are unique because of the two services we provide, one is medical treatment and the other is for substance abuse treatment.”

While the Newhall location is out of business, for the time being, patients are recommended to visit either the Palmdale or Van Nuys locations.

“We were lucky in a sense that we have a clinic in both Palmdale and Van Nuys, the Van Nuys location being closer at 11 miles,” Sharma added.

See Related: Newhall Structure Fire Breaks Out In Strip Mall

For the patients who don’t have private transportation, Sharma said that he is working on a solution to get them the help that they need.

Following the fire, an inspector told Sharma to not touch anything, leaving it undisturbed in its charred state. An architect is scheduled to assess the damage, and then sketch repair designs, according to Sharma.

After approval, the location will begin its cleaning process and start to rebuild, according to officials.

“We are going to have a cleaning company come in and clear the smoke out,” Sharma said.

While the exterior of the structure didn’t sustain significant damage, the smoke damage sustained to the interior is “tremendous,” according to LACoFD officials.
While the recovery is projected to take up to six months, Sharma is hopeful for a 90-day recovery. However, he also insists that he wants to ensure that the recovery is done properly, regardless of the time.

“A lot of patients depend on us,” Sharma said. “I don’t like to see them drive the distance when a key to our health clinic is accessibility, it’s very important.”

The Arch Street facility is scheduled to reopen by July 1, 2020.

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