Fire Guts Strip-Mall In North OC

WESTMINSTER, CA — Smoke pumped into the afternoon sky across north Orange County as a fire swept through a Westminster strip mall, Wednesday. The two-alarm fire broke out about 4:45 p.m. at the 9200 block of Bishop Place, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury during the blaze, and response to the area closed Bishop Avenue between Weststate and Bushard, he said.

Flames could be seen burning through the roof of the sprawling building, which includes a bridal shop, flower store and auto repair company.

As the flames spread, crews assumed a defensive posture, pulling crews out of the structure and pouring water onto the flames from outside the building. A large portion of the building appeared to be a complete loss.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze, but Kurtz said the fire appeared to have started on one end of the strip mall, then spread through the common attic that stretched over all the businesses in the structure.

In addition to the OCFA, crews from Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Garden Grove also responded to the scene.

Kurtz said the bulk of the fire was knocked down shortly after 5:30 p.m., although crews continued to pour water into the structure, in a mopping up of the event.

OCFA Photo