Two transients were injured Friday in a predawn four-alarm fire at a Newport Beach storage facility that smoldered throughout the day and prompted an arson investigation.
The fire started at about 2:30 a.m. and spread to 80 outdoor storage units at 864 Production Place, according the Newport Beach Fire Department.
The flames in the open outdoor storage units consumed boats, vehicles and other personal property, said Newport Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Boyles.
"Some look like old pickup trucks and some look like collector cars," Boyles told City News Service, noting some items were burned so badly he couldn't tell what they were.
One man suffered third-degree burns and was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center, Boyles said.
The other man suffered smoke inhalation and was also taken to a hospital, Boyles said. One firefighter suffered injuries to his neck and back when a 200-pound post fell on him as he sifted through the rubble, Boyles said.
The fire was knocked down before 5:30 a.m. and the Orange County Arson Task Force, Newport Beach police and Orange County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad investigated the origin and cause of the fire until dark, Boyles said.
The investigation will resume Saturday. The storage units were open with a chain-link fence on the outside and transients try to sleep in them, Boyles said.
