Sprinklers Help Firefighters Douse Blaze at Art-Craft Store

Firefighters, aided by a sprinkler system, battled a fire at an art and craft supply business Friday morning, officials said.

The 6 a.m. fire at H&H; Floral & Craft Supply Co. burned for about 30 minutes before firefighters could douse it, Battalion Chief Rey Montoya said. The business, at 1865 N. Tustin St., incurred severe water and smoke damage, Montoya said.

When firefighters first arrived, smoke was so thick they could not find the fire, he said. But a sprinkler system helped keep the fire in check while firefighters inched forward into the building.

Nobody was in the building at the time of the fire. Investigators said they did not know the cause.

Traffic along the southbound lanes of the Costa Mesa Freeway was slowed during the fire by drivers gawking at the flames, the California Highway Patrol reported.