2 Firefighters, Police Officer Hurt in Blaze

Two firefighters were injured and a policeman was overcome by smoke Saturday morning in a fire which destroyed a clothing rental company warehouse in Huntington Beach, authorities said.

The fire, which was reported at 7:50 a.m. and extinguished about an hour later, gutted the Dickies Standard Industrial Towel and Uniform Supply warehouse at 17711 Crabb Lane, causing damages of about $500,000 to the structure and $1.5 million to its contents, fire investigators said.

Firefighter Jim McKay suffered a concussion, a cut leg and severe bruises when a water cannon used to fight the fire came loose from its platform. The force from the water propelled the cannon back into McKay’s chest. He was taken to Humana Hospital in Huntington Beach and was in satisfactory condition late Saturday.

Fire Capt. Jim Lacy was admitted to the same hospital for strained muscles and smoke inhalation and police Officer Van Bethea was treated for minor smoke inhalation and later released from Pacifica Community Hospital.

Fire Investigator Gary Glenn said the blaze apparently started in the west end of the warehouse and quickly spread throughout the rest of the building, a one-story structure about 50 feet wide and 200 feet long.

Clothing and other non-combustible items were stored in the building, Glenn said. A nearby building used to launder uniforms rented to businesses and industries was not damaged in the fire.

Fire cannons were used to keep the blaze from spreading to an adjacent, two-story apartment building.

The building did not have a sprinkler system or smoke detectors, which could have prevented some of the damage, Glenn said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.