San Diego

The San Diego chapter of the American Heart Assn. was seeking a new building Thursday to store truckloads of donated items in the wake of a fire that destroyed all the furniture in the Heart Assn.’ North Park thrift shop.

“Everyday we get truckloads and we need a place to store those goods now,” chapter spokesman Mark Miller said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a fire gutted the inside of the store, destroying all of the donated materials.

Larry Cooke, a Fire Department spokesman, said fire investigators believed that an electrical malfunction in the attic ignited the blaze, which caused about $300,000 damage.

The fire also damaged a neighboring thrift shop, causing an estimated $20,000 damage. Seventy-five firefighters were called to battle the blaze, and one suffered a minor leg injury.

“We lost everything,” Miller said. “There wasn’t enough time to remove the cash box. The volunteers came by this morning and they’re all pretty shaken up.” He added that the $70 inside the box was recovered.

The association earns about $5,500 a month from sale of the donated items. The San Diego chapter made over $65,000 a year.

Miller said officials from the association are looking for an area in North Park where they can store the merchandise.

“We’re faced with the tragedy of losing one of the most valuable thrift shops,” Miller said.

Anyone interested in donating household items to the association can deliver to the group’s temporary storage area at its main office, 3640 5th Ave. Or they can call 291-7454.