UPDATED: Man Arrested in Connection with Dana Point Commercial Fire

Originally posted at 9:24 a.m. Aug. 31, 2014. Updated with new details.

Authorities have arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting a two-alarm fire today that heavily damaged one unit of a commercial building in Dana Point and caused smoke damage to 10 others.

The fire caused $300,000 worth of damage to the structure and $150,000 worth of damage to its contents, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi.

Concialdi would not disclose what led authorities to believe the fire was intentionally set.

“When Orange County fire units came on the scene, sheriff’s deputies had already taken him into custody,” said OCFA Capt. Shane Sherwood. “Initially, the Sheriff’s Department asked the fire department to stay because they had a working burglary alarm.”

The fire was reported at 4:10 a.m. in the Dana Point Arts Plaza mixed office-retail building in the 34000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, Sherwood said.

The flames were put out about a half hour later by 40 firefighters, but not before the flames damaged one unit and the smoke damaged 10 units, he said.

--City News Service

PHOTO Courtesy the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.