Fire damages apartment and bicycle shop in Newport Beach

Dec. 7, 2015 7:57 AM PT

Firefighters doused flames that broke out in a second-floor apartment and damaged a bicycle shop below the residence Friday night, according to Newport Beach authorities.

About 17 units responded to the 600 block of east Balboa Boulevard about 11:30 p.m. when the fire ignited, Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

Crews kept the fire from spreading to nearby structures and had the blaze out within about 45 minutes, Manzella said.

Authorities estimated the flames on the second floor plus smoke and water in the bicycle shop caused about $500,000 in damage.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

The second-floor occupants were home when the fire started, but escaped unharmed, Manzella said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Jeremiah Dobruck

Jeremiah Dobruck was a public safety reporter for the Daily Pilot. He first came to the Pilot as an editorial intern in 2009. After a handful of other media-related jobs, he was hired full-time at the Pilot as a copy editor in 2012. He holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Cal State Fullerton. He left the Daily Pilot in 2016.