Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Post-Fire Investigation Continues at Union Bank on El Paseo, Vault is 'Secure' But Condition of Contents Unverified
Update 3:29 p.m. Union Bank officials in Palm Desert had not been able to access the vault in the branch building that was destroyed by fire Friday night on El Paseo, a bank spokesman said Monday afternoon.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
But the condition of the vault's contents remained unclear.
"We have not been able to access the vault, and so I can't report the condition of the interior contents," Taggart said in an email Monday afternoon.
Update 11:40 a.m. The cause of the Friday night fire that destroyed the Union Bank Palm Desert branch on El Paseo remained under investigation, Mark Annas of Cal Fire-Riverside County said Monday Oct. 21.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire, a bank spokesman said.
But it had not been opened yet, and the condition of its contents, including customers' valuables, had not been verified as of Monday morning, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
Posted 9:05 a.m. Post-fire investigation and assessments were expected to continue Monday at the Union Bank Palm Desert branch that was destroyed by fire Friday night, a spokesman for the bank said Oct. 21.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire.
But it had not been opened yet, and the condition of its contents, including customers' valuables, had not been verified as of Monday morning, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
The blaze was reported at 9:12 p.m. Oct. 18, Cal Fire-Riverside County spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson said.
There was heavy smoke and fire showing from the exterior of the one-story building when the first crews arrived, prompting a second alarm call-out for more firefighters. A contingent of 10 engine crews and two truck crews totaling 40 firefighters responded to the blaze.
The fire was declared contained at 10:26 p.m. The bank building was completely destroyed, Hendrickson said.
No injuries were reported.
Here's a statement released Monday morning by Union Bank officials in San Francisco:
On October 18, the Union Bank Palm Desert branch at 73785 El Paseo Avenue, in Palm Desert, CA, suffered extensive fire damage. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire however, the branch is now closed.
Due to further investigation that must occur as well as a structural assessment to ensure the area is safe, Union Bank cannot yet gain access to the vault. As soon as we are able to access the vault and assess the situation, we will be reaching out to our customers with safe deposit boxes by phone to make arrangements for them to access their box.
"We apologize for any inconvenience that this fire may cause our customers," said Union Bank Executive Vice President Michael Feldman, head of Branch Banking. "Serving our customers is our top priority each and every day. Our Union Bank team remains committed to assisting our customers and keeping them updated on this situation."
Alternate Branches and Customer Service Specialists
All of the Union Bank branches are ready to assist our Palm Desert branch customers with their banking needs. Below is a list of the branches closest to the Palm Desert branch. In addition, the bank’s Customer Service specialists are standing by to assist customers at (800) 238 4486.
Rancho Mirage
71950 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-5400
(760) 862-4700
Cook & Country Club
74924 Country Club Dr.
Palm Desert, CA 92260-1969
(760) 779-9955
La Quinta
79670 Highway 111
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 863-1865
Union Bank branches are part of UnionBanCal Corporation, which is based in San Francisco. UnionBanCal Corporation is billed as a financial holding company with assets of $102.3 billion at June 30, 2013. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., provides an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 422 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, and New York as well as two international offices, on June 30, 2013.
UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world's largest financial organizations. For more info visit www.unionbank.com.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
But the condition of the vault's contents remained unclear.
"We have not been able to access the vault, and so I can't report the condition of the interior contents," Taggart said in an email Monday afternoon.
Update 11:40 a.m. The cause of the Friday night fire that destroyed the Union Bank Palm Desert branch on El Paseo remained under investigation, Mark Annas of Cal Fire-Riverside County said Monday Oct. 21.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire, a bank spokesman said.
But it had not been opened yet, and the condition of its contents, including customers' valuables, had not been verified as of Monday morning, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
Posted 9:05 a.m. Post-fire investigation and assessments were expected to continue Monday at the Union Bank Palm Desert branch that was destroyed by fire Friday night, a spokesman for the bank said Oct. 21.
The bank's vault was considered "secure" as of Monday morning and it had not been breached by the fire.
But it had not been opened yet, and the condition of its contents, including customers' valuables, had not been verified as of Monday morning, Tom Taggart of Union Bank told Palm Desert Patch in a phone interview.
The blaze was reported at 9:12 p.m. Oct. 18, Cal Fire-Riverside County spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson said.
There was heavy smoke and fire showing from the exterior of the one-story building when the first crews arrived, prompting a second alarm call-out for more firefighters. A contingent of 10 engine crews and two truck crews totaling 40 firefighters responded to the blaze.
The fire was declared contained at 10:26 p.m. The bank building was completely destroyed, Hendrickson said.
No injuries were reported.
Here's a statement released Monday morning by Union Bank officials in San Francisco:
On October 18, the Union Bank Palm Desert branch at 73785 El Paseo Avenue, in Palm Desert, CA, suffered extensive fire damage. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire however, the branch is now closed.
Due to further investigation that must occur as well as a structural assessment to ensure the area is safe, Union Bank cannot yet gain access to the vault. As soon as we are able to access the vault and assess the situation, we will be reaching out to our customers with safe deposit boxes by phone to make arrangements for them to access their box.
"We apologize for any inconvenience that this fire may cause our customers," said Union Bank Executive Vice President Michael Feldman, head of Branch Banking. "Serving our customers is our top priority each and every day. Our Union Bank team remains committed to assisting our customers and keeping them updated on this situation."
Alternate Branches and Customer Service Specialists
All of the Union Bank branches are ready to assist our Palm Desert branch customers with their banking needs. Below is a list of the branches closest to the Palm Desert branch. In addition, the bank’s Customer Service specialists are standing by to assist customers at (800) 238 4486.
Rancho Mirage
71950 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-5400
(760) 862-4700
Cook & Country Club
74924 Country Club Dr.
Palm Desert, CA 92260-1969
(760) 779-9955
La Quinta
79670 Highway 111
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 863-1865
Union Bank branches are part of UnionBanCal Corporation, which is based in San Francisco. UnionBanCal Corporation is billed as a financial holding company with assets of $102.3 billion at June 30, 2013. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., provides an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 422 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, and New York as well as two international offices, on June 30, 2013.
UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world's largest financial organizations. For more info visit www.unionbank.com.
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