$150,000 Arson Blaze Hits GOP Offices : Crime: Officials at the county headquarters in South Pasadena move their operations. An anti-Republican message was painted on a wall earlier but no political motive for the fire is suspected.
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An early-morning arson fire ripped through the lobby of the Los Angeles County Republican Party headquarters in South Pasadena on Monday, causing $150,000 in damage and sending GOP officials searching for other quarters to temporarily house campaign operations.
Alhambra Fire Marshal John Kabala, who investigated the blaze, said occupants of the building had reported an anti-Republican message painted on the wall about 24 hours before the fire. He said he did not know whether the graffito, the initials “GOP” followed by an equal sign and a swastika, was related to the arson.
The 1:42 a.m. blaze gutted the building’s reception area and caused severe smoke damage in the remaining offices, Kabala said.
The fire also destroyed a microfiche machine, the main telephone switchboard, Republican campaign literature and an elephant-shaped planter, Kabala said.
“There’s no way they can work in there. They’re out of business, basically,” Kabala said.
Investigators believe the arsonist threw a brick through the building’s plate glass window to get inside, then poured a flammable liquid around the lobby.
Although Kabala said he does not know whether the arson was politically motivated, he notified the Secret Service. No suspects have been identified.
The building, at 511 Mission St., primarily serves as a base of operations for volunteers working to elect Republicans to legislative and congressional offices, said David Kantar, senior administrator.
Kantar said he does not expect the fire to disrupt the party’s campaign efforts.
Precinct operations, telemarketing and fund-raising efforts have already been relocated to satellite offices in the San Fernando Valley and the South Bay and several other Republican organizations have already offered empty office space.
Kantar said he does not expect to rent new space because the building should be back in operation within a few weeks.
“It hasn’t stopped any of our actions at all,” Kantar said.
“We’re a party, not a building. We’re going to come back stronger and more invigorated. I think this is going to be a rallying cry,” he said.
Kantar said he does not believe that the fire was politically motivated because the inner offices were not vandalized and no important files were destroyed.
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