FULLERTON : 90-Year-Old Building Damaged by Blaze

More than 60 firefighters from seven departments battled a spectacular fire in a 90-year-old downtown brick building Sunday evening that caused at least $700,000 damage.

The fire broke out about 6 p.m. in a second-floor storage room above the Comic Castle, 107 W. Amerige Ave., and adjacent to a bookstore specializing in rare books and a dress shop, said Fullerton Fire Marshal Marc Martin. No injuries were reported.

Flames towered 30 feet above the two-story building and could be seen several miles away. One motorist, Don Cocroft, who was traveling east on the Riverside Freeway, said he looked toward Fullerton, saw the flames, and “thought all of Main Street was on fire.”

Firefighters were hampered by the age of the building and feared that the unreinforced masonry walls would collapse while they battled the blaze. That fear, Martin said, prompted fire officials to limit their fighting to ladder trucks, rather than putting dozens of firefighters on the roof.

“With masonry buildings there’s nothing to hold the walls up--even a strong wind could be of concern here,” said Chuck Dalleo, a Fullerton Building Department official who ordered the building vacated after the fire was contained.

More than once, firefighters were forced to move their lines back because of fear that the building would collapse.

Dalleo said the $700,000 damage figure did not include damage to the inventory of the three stores and the second-floor storage area, he said.

It took firefighters more than 90 minutes to contain the blaze, said Fullerton Fire Chief Ron Coleman. The building had a common attic “which could have (wiped) out the entire block” and no fire sprinklers, Coleman said.

Don Parker of Fullerton, who said he has owned the building for 25 years, said it was covered by fire insurance.

Sunday night, Parker stood dejectedly watching the blaze and remarked, “there’s nothing I can do but just stand here.”

Two other businesses, Book Harbor, a rare-book shop, and Elegant Lady Dress Shop, both adjacent to the Comic Castle, were also damaged by fire or water damage.

The fire lit up the sky Sunday. Several owners of businesses in the area said it was one of the biggest fires they had seen in the older, downtown area in recent years.

Elodie Anderson, owner of the Elegant Lady Dress Shop, said she had stopped by her store about 10 a.m. Sunday.

Sunday night, she too stood helpless, watching as large flames ate their way through the roof above her store.

“All my files are inside the store,” Anderson said. “We have fashion shows that are planned. We can always buy new clothes. I hope the fire doesn’t destroy my files.”

Firefighters from more than a half-dozen agencies responded to the fire, including Anaheim, La Habra, Brea, Buena Park, Orange, Orange County Fire Department and Fullerton.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.