The Region - News from Feb. 13, 1985

A faulty hot water heater sparked the fire that gutted Donald Simon’s mansion on Sunset Boulevard last week, Beverly Hills fire officials said. The initial damage estimate of $2 million to the house and its contents has been upgraded to $3.4 million, Fire Inspector Jim Anderson said. “There was a lot of art work” in the 12,000-square-foot structure, Anderson said. Simon, who was touring Africa with his family when the fire broke out on Feb. 4, is the son of industrialist and art collector Norton Simon. Anderson said the fire started near the hot water heater in the basement.