Massive blaze burns 2 Newport Beach storage facilities; 1 person hurt
Firefighters in Newport Beach battled a raging blaze early Friday that burned two storage facilities and produced a plume of smoke that could be seen for miles, authorities said.
The four-alarm fire was reported at about 2:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Production Place, an industrial area near Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach fire Capt. Ty Lunde said.
Some nearby residents spoke of hearing explosions.
An Orange County arson task force was called to the scene, though Lunde said its presence did not necessarily mean arson was involved. The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known, he said.
Members of the Newport Beach Fire Department along 16th Street in Newport Beach after putting out a structure fire which occurred after 2AM.
“By nature of the explosion and fire and heat, it makes it suspicious by nature,” Battalion Chief Jeff Boyles told the Los Angeles Times.
Lunde said he didn’t know the value of the property damaged.
More than 60 firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire within about two hours, Lunde said.
One person was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana for treatment of third-degree burns. Lunde said he didn’t know the person’s condition.
Lunde said he heard that another person had suffered smoke inhalation but he could not confirm it.
No firefighters were injured, Lunde said.
The fire caused more than 50 Southern California Edison customers to lose power, which the company’s website said is expected to be restored by noon Sunday.
Production Place and portions of nearby Monrovia and Placentia avenues were closed through the morning, Lunde said.
Firefighters from Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and the Orange County Fire Authority helped battle the fire.
Joseph Serna of the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.
Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
