70 Firefighters Subdue Stubborn Orange Blaze; Several Offices Gutted

An early-morning fire swept through a two-story office complex in Orange on Monday, causing roughly $1.5 million in damage and reducing several offices to rubble.

About 70 firefighters battled the blaze for 2 1/2 hours before bringing it under control at 8:30 a.m., but white puffs of smoke and occasional flare-ups continued until late morning.

One group of employees gathered in prayer in the puddle-filled parking lot as others waited for firefighters to retrieve computer hard drives, photos and personal items from the smoldering building.

One of the building’s tenants, the local chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, escaped the flames but not cascading water from fire hoses.

“I don’t even know how we’re going to function out of here,” said Jerri Montes-Barrios, an employee at the society’s offices.

Authorities hauled out sacks containing about $5,000 in pennies, nickels and dimes from the office, donations raised by schoolchildren in Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Capt. Chris Boyd of the Orange Fire Department retrieved photos and plaques from the society’s drenched office.

“That’s one awesome firefighter, someone who goes in and gets the things that are important,” said Nadine Durbach, a social worker.

Authorities said the fire may have started before 6 a.m. in a first-floor clothing warehouse at the West Katella Avenue office building. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze “had a good head start,” Orange Fire Chief Ray Montoya said.

Firefighters were pulled from Orange, Anaheim, Fullerton and the Orange County Fire Authority to fight the blaze. At one point, 25 fire engines encircled the building.

Although the building had no sprinklers, it was within fire code, Montoya said. The fire gutted a computer hardware business, leaving only charred beams where the upstairs office had stood.

“We should be OK, it’s just a bit of a headache to deal with all this,” owner Ben Rodriguez said.

Although no one was seriously injured, firefighters had a close call when a large chunk of the second-story floor collapsed as they battled intense flames just feet away.

As the flames curled from the building, firefighters retreated to the street and fought the fire from a safe distance with hoses and a water cannon.

One firefighter was taken to a local hospital with a back injury, Montoya said, adding that the injury was not related the collapse of the floor.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, authorities said.

One of the building’s tenants reportedly turned on a thermostat at about 5 a.m. and heard a boom, but it was unknown whether it was related to the fire, authorities said.