Dry-Cleaning Boiler Starts $60,000 Westminster Blaze

A faulty boiler in a dry-cleaning business is believed to have sparked a Saturday morning fire that caused more than $60,000 in damage, routing storekeepers and customers from neighboring shops in the local shopping strip.

Westminster Fire Capt. Craig Campbell said the blaze started at 11:16 a.m. and was confined to the rear of the Golden West Cleaners in the 15000 block of Golden West Street.

Campbell said that no injuries were reported and that the fire brought five engine companies and three trucks to Un Sang Yi’s dry-cleaning business. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to control the fire.

Yi, 60, surveying the laundry piled outside his business, said he and two employees rushed from the store when they noticed smoke coming from the boiler area.

Yi said he does not have insurance for the shop, which he said has 150 to 200 customers.

Anthony Nguyen, who operates a hair-styling shop next to the cleaner, said he was cutting a customer’s hair when he saw smoke, then flames, shooting into the air in the rear of the business next door.

“It was very scary,” Nguyen said, standing outside and next to his young customer, whose shirt was still dusted with fresh hair clippings. “My customer helped me move some things out. I am so lucky. I will give him a free haircut today.”

Nguyen’s business did not suffer any damage.

Campbell said a second alarm was called to prevent the fire from spreading to other shops through a common attic.

“It’s better to jump on these with a whole lot of manpower,” Campbell said.