Arson Suspected in Long Beach Fire
A fire that raged for five hours Sunday morning in downtown Long Beach destroyed an auto upholstery shop and an appliance rental store, but firefighters were able to save luxury cars at an auto dealership next door.
The two-story building on Long Beach Boulevard housing Bill’s Top Shop and The Rent Club was a total loss, Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Bob Caldon said. Damage was estimated at about $300,000.
Long Beach firefighters, assisted by crews from the Long Beach Naval Station, broke the front windows of the adjacent Kensington Motors Ltd. and pulled out about 15 Lotus and Avanti automobiles valued at $600,000 to $700,000.
The cause of the 4 a.m. fire, which was fueled by chemicals inside the upholstery shop, has not been determined, Caldon said, but arson is suspected.
It was the second major fire of the weekend in Long Beach. Two men, Sean Duffy, 30, and Jerry Dean Lindsey, 37, were killed early Saturday in a fire that heavily damaged a home on East Wardlow Road. Police originally suspected arson in that fire, but now it is believed to have begun accidentally, Caldon said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
