Fire Breaks Out At Stagecoach, Destroying Three RVs

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach/Getty Images – Stagecoach 2018
A horse statue is seen on the grounds of the Empire Polo Clubs at Stagecoach April 27, 2018, in Indio, Calif.

Stagecoach’s 2018 edition got off to an intense start on Friday, with a fire breaking out in one of the campgrounds at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. Three RV’s were destroyed, but nobody was injured.

The fire was reported at 2:11 p.m., according to a report from the Riverside County Fire Department, right around the time Morgan Evans was scheduled to perform at the Sirius XM Spotlight Stage. The incident, which took place in parking lot No. 5, was contained by 2:20 p.m. In addition to the three RV’s that were destroyed, a fourth sustained moderate fire damage. 

A tweet from Nikie Johnson, a data journalist for Southern California News Group, showed an alert put up on one of the screens at the festival declaring, “Safety Alert. The fire in lot 5 is under control. Please stay away and clear a path for emergency workers.” Other tweets showed a huge plume of black smoke rising above a Ferris wheel on the festival grounds as fans looked on.

Five engine companies and 15 Cal Fire / Riverside County firefighters responded to the blaze. 

“There was a small incident in our staff camping area which was responded to immediately,” a spokesperson for promoter Goldenvoice told Pollstar. “It is now under control and no one was injured. We love our Riverside County fire fighters and Festival Security!”   

Friday features “Mane Stage” performances by Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Janson, Chris Lane, and Lindsay Ell. 

Click here for an interview with Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice’s director of festival talent, about programming the event.