Blaze Races Through Irvine Carport

An intense carport fire early Sunday destroyed or damaged 15 vehicles at an Irvine apartment building and threatened sleeping residents, fire officials said.

The 5 a.m. blaze was so hot that the vehicles’ fuel tanks melted through, causing gasoline to spill onto the garage floor and intensifying the heat, said Dennis Shell, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority.

Eight vehicles were destroyed and seven others were severely damaged. Total damage to the vehicles was estimated at $50,000, Shell said, and damage to the carport was $150,000. “When we’re talking destroyed, we’re talking a shell of the vehicle sitting on the ground. No upholstery, no paint, no tires, no rims. Nothing but a hunk of metal,” Shell said.

Teams of firefighters fought the carport flames while others stationed themselves on and around a two-story apartment building within 15 feet of the fire. A few residents were evacuated, but the apartment building sustained only minor smoke and heat damage, and the residents soon returned. No one was injured.

It took 20 minutes for 36 firefighters to put out the blaze. Officials are still investigating the fire’s cause.