San Diego
A Rancho Penasquitos health and fitness center, which opened last November, was destroyed in a four-alarm fire, San Diego Fire Department Capt. Al MacDonald said Tuesday.
The club is part of the Carmel Highland Golf and Tennis Resort, 14455 Penasquitos Drive. The fire started at 6:52 p.m. Monday and swept through the single-story commercial building, MacDonald said.
The Fire Department estimated the loss at $900,000.
A faulty electrical panel caused the blaze, MacDonald said. It took 120 firefighters from several fire departments three hours to control the blaze.
Firefighters left the building when they feared the ceilings would collapse, MacDonald said.
There were no deaths or injuries, he said, adding that an employee and two members of the club were inside when smoke was seen coming from the top of the electrical panel.
“The fire hasn’t affected business,” said general manager Charles Nehme. “Business will continue as usual. We will use other areas of the resort until the center is rebuilt in about three or four months.”
Nehme said the 176-room resort opened in September, and the health club opened Nov. 1.
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