COSTA MESA : Arson Fire Damages Units in Vacant Motel

A fire that blew out walls and caused an estimated $26,000 in damage to a boarded-up motel early Monday was deliberately set, authorities said.

Investigators believe someone doused two motel rooms at the Coastal Inn, 2374 Newport Blvd., with a flammable liquid and lit it, causing an explosion that blew the front walls out and set the units ablaze about 1:45 a.m., Costa Mesa Fire Marshal Tom Macduff said.

The arsonist also made holes from one motel unit to another, hastening the spread of the fire, Macduff said.

Battalion Chief Ken Soltis said 17 firefighters took about 10 minutes to control the blaze, which caused no injury, said.

It was the second time in as many months that firefighters were called to the same address to put out a fire, Soltis said.

A month ago, another fire scorched the area directly above the two rooms that burned Monday, fire investigators said.

That fire was suspicious in nature, but a cause was not determined, Macduff said.

The motel is in foreclosure and owned by the Bank of India, fire officials said.