Fire Destroys 19 Cars; Officials Discounting Arson
An early morning fire that destroyed 19 cars in a Long Beach carport does not appear to be arson, fire investigators said Monday.
The two-alarm blaze Sunday in the 4500 block of Montair Avenue damaged eight other vehicles, displaced two families and caused $400,000 to $500,000 in damage. No injuries were reported.
Early indications and eyewitness reports have led investigators to believe that the fire was accidental.
Investigators speculate that the fire started in a locked cabinet where gasoline was stored. “We are still investigating the source of ignition,” said Long Beach Fire Battalion Chief Jack Bender.
Long Beach investigators met with members of the Los Angeles City Fire Department arson unit Monday to look for any similarities between the fire on Montair Avenue and carport fires in other communities. Since March, there have been a spate of suspicious carport fires in the region, primarily in the San Gabriel Valley.
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