$1-Million Fire Razes Electrical Company

More than 45 firefighters battled a blaze in an industrial building in Huntington Beach that caused an estimated $1 million in damage to an electrical contracting firm, Huntington Beach firefighters said.

The fire, which broke out at a building housing Trani Electric, 5462 Business Drive, was reported about 2:51 a.m. Sunday. Flames had by that time already engulfed the building, prompting Huntington Beach fire officials to request aid from three other agencies to contain the fire within the 12,000-square-foot building, a Huntington Beach firefighter said.

About 48 firefighters from four departments--Newport Beach, Westminster, Huntington Beach and Orange County--took about 70 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze.

No injuries were reported.

Three hazardous-materials emergency response teams were dispatched to investigate whether the building had dangerous chemicals inside. Nothing was found, a Huntington Beach firefighter said.

Mostly Warehouse Use

John Trani of Westminster, who leases the building, said it has been used for 11 years by his company, mostly as a warehouse. The company does not manufacture any products, he said.

Trani, who visited the warehouse and examined it personally early Sunday, agreed that the building is a total loss. The contents included a large quantity of electrical wiring, he said.

Trani said firefighters told him the warehouse erupted quickly, probably because it had been smoldering a long time before the fire ignited.

The building and contents were insured, he said.

Firefighters estimated the damage at $500,000 to the structure and $500,000 to the contents.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Although the building was a total loss, Trani said his business can continue almost uninterrupted because his workers travel to job sites in trucks carrying materials to perform electrical contracting jobs.

The electrical contracting firm wires hotels and other buildings, Trani said.