Gilbert Fire & Rescue orders evacuation over leaning wall, instability

Several businesses were impacted after Gilbert Fire & Rescue ordered a full evacuation of a building near Gilbert and Guadalupe roads earlier this week. Fire crews said it followed months of fire code concerns and a structural assessment that identified significant safety risks. Gilbert Fire & Rescue says concerns about the property date back to December 2025, when inspectors first identified fire code violations requiring corrections. Over the next several months, officials say they conducted multiple follow-up inspections while working with the property owner to address those concerns. According to the fire department, most of those violations remained unaddressed. Fire crews said after multiple inspections and repeated efforts to work with the owner to resolve those concerns, they were preparing to issue citations.