A four-alarm fire destroyed more than 150 self-storage units on Sunday at a Public Storage facility in Laguna Hills, Calif. A passerby reported the fire at 3:22 a.m., bringing to the scene 100 firefighters who fought the blaze for more than four hours. A roof and wall partially collapsed in the two-story building on Costeau Street. The damaged units bordered Alicia Parkway, according to a source.
Responders indicated the unit doors and other forcible entry issues caused some delay in battling the fire, which spread quickly along the second floor, a source reported. Firefighters had to pull back and take a defensive stance when the roof and wall fell in. “It burned for four hours,” said Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. “There’s so much stuff in the storage units. There was just a tremendous fire load.”
Firefighters were able to take control of the blaze and prevent it from turning a corner at the L-shaped facility, saving another 100 units from harm, according to Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Department. The facility comprises 970 units, a source reported.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,392 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 159 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 223 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 12 million net rentable square feet.
Sources:
ABC 7, Over 150 units Damaged in 4-Alarm Fire at Laguna Hills Storage Facility
Firehouse, Hundred Firefighters Battle CA Storage Blaze
