Fire sweeps through carport of Pasadena condo complex

Thirteen cars, including several high-end models such as a Porsche, two Lexuses and a Pontiac Solstice, were destroyed or severely damaged early Tuesday after a fire broke out in a carport at a Pasadena condominium complex, authorities said.

Residents were awakened shortly after 2 a.m. by the sound of popping tires in the 1000 block of South Orange Grove Avenue, said Lisa Derderian, a spokeswoman for the Pasadena Fire Department.

She said residents described it as sounding like small explosions.

All 30 residents of the complex were evacuated by police and firefighters, and not allowed to return for about three hours, Derderian said.

Damage was estimated at about $650,000 for the cars and about $100,000 for the carport and adjacent laundry room, she said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

“Some of these vehicles were burnt down to the metal, so our investigator has to very methodically collect the evidence, talk to the residents, so that can be a while,” Derderian said, adding that the flames were so hot that concrete melted in places.

She said carport fires sometimes occur because people store easy “ignition sources,” such as household cleaning items or gasoline, in their cars.

A cinder-block wall on the east side of the parking area probably prevented the fire from spreading to an adjacent condominium complex, Derderian said.

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tami.abdollah@latimes.com