5 Cars Ruined, 5 Damaged in Suspicious Carport Fire
Orange County fire officials are investigating a carport fire of suspicious origin that destroyed five cars and badly damaged five others Wednesday morning.
The fire at the Continental Gardens apartment complex at 8113 Cerritos Blvd. was reported at 12:44 a.m. and caused about $45,000 in damage, according to Capt. Dennis Shell.
Two residents living directly above the carport were evacuated, and no one was injured, Shell said.
Lenny, the department’s arson investigation dog, smelled a trace of flammable liquid, Shell said.
Witnesses told officials that they saw a man in his 20s wandering around the area some time before the fire, carrying a plastic container, Shell said.
Investigators said they do not believe the blaze is related to a recent rash of carport arsons locally and in Los Angeles County.
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