Bike ride to honor teen killed in fire

More than 500 bicyclists plan to turn out for a memorial ride in honor of a 17-year-old Newport Beach High School student who died last week in a fire, according to the event’s Facebook page.

The ride in memory of Luke Upton, who died from his injuries after a Costa Mesa apartment fire Feb. 24, will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. The ride will start at A Street in Newport Beach and is expected to cover about seven miles around the Balboa Peninsula.

Upton’s younger brother, Diego, will ride Upton’s bike in his memory, and each rider will be given a colored ribbon with which to adorn their bike, according to the Facebook page, which on Wednesday had 503 confirmed riders.

A memorial will be in place at a gazebo, on A Street, where the riders, friends and family of Upton’s will gather to light candles and say prayers before the ride.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no police escort was scheduled for the Saturday event, but Newport police confirmed that the event is being evaluated for potential safety risks.

—Sarah Peters