An early morning blaze at Mike Thompson's RV Super Store in Santa Fe Springs ravaged more than a dozen recreational vehicles Thursday, leaving behind an estimated $2 million in damages. The fire, which is believed to have begun around 12:30 a.m., was preceded by a burglary call at the dealership located on Firestone Boulevard, Whittier police officials said to KABC.
First on the scene, officers witnessed the fire rapidly spreading among the clustered RVs. In total, about 14 vehicles were either damaged or destroyed in the inferno, said authorities. A possible link to a burglary has not been established yet, and no arrests have been made at this time, as per the same KABC report.
Firefighters from the Santa Fe Springs department prevented the fire from extending beyond the dealership premises, using aerial ladders to combat the soaring flames. Battalion Chief Victor Marin detailed to KTLA that the close proximity of the vehicles contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The family-run business, which started in 1972 and boasts four locations across Southern California, now grapples with this significant setback.
"The RV trailers quickly catch fire. They're obviously parked close together so it was putting off a pretty good smoke header and there was visible flames," Marin expounded in the KTLA interview. Surveillance footage is being combed through by fire officials to determine the cause of the fire. Notably,, a trespassing suspect was captured on camera shortly before the outbreak, according to the dealership's manager in a discussion with the same source.
Though the inquiry into the blaze's origins continues, a manager conversing with NBCLA noted the recency of a cleared homeless encampment adjacent to the enterprise. The significant lot of charred RVs, estimated to fetch at least $150,000 each, augments the sting of the obliteration that struck this regional mainstay. As quoted in an NBCLA report, the manager asserted the damage is about $2 million, encapsulating the economic upheaval left in the wake of the firestorm.
