Garden Grove : Space Heater Blamed for $500,000 Fire in Shop

Flames lit the nighttime sky in Garden Grove on Thursday after a space heater apparently exploded in a metal-stamping shop, destroying 40% of the single-story building and causing an estimated $500,000 in damages.

Twenty firefighters from Garden Grove and Stanton fought the blaze at M & M Engineering at 7542 Acacia Ave. for about an hour before they brought it under control, said Ellen Covey, a Garden Grove Fire Department spokeswoman.

Firefighters initially had figured the damage at $1.5 million, but late Friday, plant supervisor Andrew Zankich said the estimate was changed.

“At 2 a.m. it was sheer devastation here,” he said. “But it’s looking better. We think we’ll be back in production next week.”

The cause is still under investigation but fire officials believe that a space heater exploded inside the building. When the fire was reported at 10:36 p.m., flames were shooting through the roof, Covey said.

No one was injured and nearby buildings were not involved, fire officials said. No toxic materials were involved. Machinery and tool dies seemed to have been damaged by the smoke and heat, Covey said.