Origin of Mini-Mall Fire Still Unknown

Using a specially trained Labrador to hunt for clues, arson investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department picked through the scorched remains of three stores in a Chatsworth mini-mall Monday in an effort to pinpoint the source of the blaze that struck late Sunday night.

But after two trips through Jerry Persky’s vacuum repair shop, investigators had discovered little. Monday afternoon, fire officials said the origin of the blaze in the 21000 block of Devonshire Street was still unknown, but they did not rule out arson.

The fire began just after 11 p.m. at the Vacuum Connection and spread across the drop-ceiling roof into two stores directly west of the repair shop--Sioux’s Hair Design and Nail Care and a vacant Chinese restaurant. There were no injuries in the fire.

Nine companies from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded and controlled the fire within 40 minutes, officials said.

A Ramada Inn east of the vacuum shop sustained minor damage from the flames. A sign on the side of the hotel was scorched and two windows were smashed.

Persky’s store bore the brunt of the damage and will have to be totally rebuilt, said Barbara and Marvin Nelson of Northridge, owners of the three commercial properties.

“Business has been a struggle lately,” said Persky, who leased the store from the Nelsons three years ago. “There’s another vacuum business right down the block. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Next door, Sioux Miller’s beauty salon was severely damaged by smoke and drenched with water. Flames destroyed the ceiling in the store, but left the roof intact. “Look what’s left of my nippers!” said Lisa Layland, a manicurist at the salon. Layland held up a melted, mashed piece of metal the size of a quarter.

“They said there was smoke damage, but this looks a lot worse than just smoke damage,” said Miller, who opened the salon 13 years ago. “I guess now we just wait for the insurance adjuster to call.”

The former Chinese restaurant next to Miller’s salon had been leased last week by Tommy Puyot of Newhall, who planned to open a steakhouse there.

“I was coming here today to do an inventory of the equipment left in the kitchen,” Puyot said. “I guess I’m lucky I didn’t start remodeling the place yet.”

The restaurant was the least damaged of the three stores, but paint and plaster on the walls melted from the heat of the fire, part of the ceiling was destroyed and the carpet was saturated with water.

Fire Department officials estimate the fire caused at least $73,000 in damage, but the Nelsons said the figure would probably be higher.