FULLERTON : 2 Fires Strike Area Within 12-Hour Span

A fast-moving fire at an industrial complex late Monday night destroyed a garage door company and damaged two adjacent businesses, fire officials said Tuesday.

Less than 12 hours later, firefighters from the same station were called to a second, unrelated industrial blaze several blocks away.

The 11:30 p.m. fire was caused by a welding tank that was accidentally knocked over and began emitting gas at Overhead Doors, 737 State College Blvd., said Fullerton Fire Department Battalion Chief Eric Newman.

“The gas escaped, found an ignition torch and took off,” Newman said. “It was very explosive and accelerated faster than a normal fire because of the settling gas.”

By the time firefighters arrived, flames were burning through the roof of the business, which is in College Industrial Park. At least one worker was in the building when the fire began but escaped without injury.

It took 16 firefighters about 20 minutes to control the blaze, which caused an estimated $300,000 damage to the building and its contents. The business next door was damaged and a third business suffered some smoke and water damage, Newman said.

The fire remains under investigation.

Firefighters from the same station fought a second, less damaging fire Tuesday afternoon several blocks from the Overhead Doors blaze.

A rooftop air-filtration unit at Winonics Inc. in the 1200 block of State College Boulevard ignited when paper filters were improperly used instead of metal filters, fire officials said.

Employees of the electrical plating company managed to bring the fire under control by the time firefighters arrived, Capt. Tom Metcalfe said, but the $8,000 unit was a total loss.