Two-Alarm Fire Damages South Bay Apartment

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – A unit in a five-story apartment complex was damaged by a fire Tuesday in Torrance, but no one was injured. The fire was reported about 3:50 p.m. in the 3100 block of Newton Street, near Pacific Coast Highway, and quickly went to two alarms due to the potential for spread and the "high life hazard" posed by the blaze, according to Torrance Fire Department Assistant Chief Steve Treskes.

About 30 firefighters responded and the fire was knocked down within 10 minutes of the first crew arriving on scene, Treskes said.

The damage was limited to the third-floor unit of origin, the occupants of which were displaced, according to Treskes, who described the complex as being large with a lot of attached units.

The affected unit was in the middle of the complex, he said.

The intersection of Tandem Way and Dalemead Street was closed during the fire department's response.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Photo courtesy of the Torrance Fire Department