Two-alarm fire in Logan Heights business causes $150K in damage

Feb. 01--A two-alarm fire late Wednesday caused about $150,000 in damage to a storage room behind grocery store in Logan Heights where a roof collapsed, fire officials said.

It took firefighters about 90 minutes to knock down the flames in the storage area behind the store on National Avenue near South 29th Street.

The first units who arrived around 11:30 p.m. saw flames coming from the roof and had a difficult time getting to the fire, partly because stock in the storage room was piled so high, officials said.

After initially fighting the fire from the interior of the building, they pulled back and took a more defensive stand when they noticed the roof was starting to cave in.

A second alarm was called around 11:50 p.m. and additional units responded. The fire was knocked down around 2 a.m.

"It did not go into the grocery store. There is a solid wall that separates the storage area in the back where the fire originated and the grocery store," said San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Grace Yamane. "The grocery store is pretty much intact."

It appears the fire began near a large walk-in cooler, she said.

About 75 firefighters from San Diego and National City battled the blaze, she said.

Yamane told reporters early Thursday that a backhoe would be brought in to pull the debris out from the storage area so crews could put water on fire burning in that material.

A Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman said crews would remain at the fire overnight and into the morning to monitor it.

Arson investigators were called to try to determine how the blaze started.

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