Four carports and five cars were destroyed by a vehicle fire shortly before sunrise on Monday, Oct. 24. No one was injured in the fire that struck in the Rossmoor Park condominium complex located adjacent to the Rossmoor Shopping Center in the city of Seal Beach.
Investigators have determined that the fire was caussed by a mechanical problem with one vehicle, accordng to Capt. Marc Stone, public informaiton officer for the Orange County Fire Authority. Stone said the fire caused approximately $300,000 in damage—$250,000 to the cars that the blaze destroyed and $50,000 to the carport structure.
Stone, said the burning carports were located near the Pei Wei restaurant. The restaurant is separated from the condo complex by an alley and a stone wall.
Stone said the Fire Authority received the report of the fire at 6:25 a.m. Firefighters were at the scene at 7:29 a.m. Stone said the fire was knocked down—meaning put out—just before 7 a.m. He said four cars were destroyed. He said it was possible that other cars suffered smoke or heat damage during the blaze. No one was injured during the fire.
Stone said investigators are still at the scene, attempting to determine the cause of the fire.
Stone said it was a single alarm fire.
A pillar of pitch-black smoke billowed up from the yellow flames as As firefighers worked to attack the blaze. Seal Beach and Los Alamitos police units were also present. (The condo complex is located near the borders of Los Alamitos and Rossmoor.)
A police officer performed traffic control for civilians who were driving out of the exit facing Rossmoor Center Way, the street that runs through the Shops at Rossmoor Center and separates the Rossmoor Park complex from the Sprouts Farmer’s Market.
