ARSON TO BLAME FOR PALMDALE FIRE VACANT PAYLESS FURNITURE STORE TARGETED.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer PALMDALE - Arson was blamed Thursday for a strip-mall fire that broke out in a vacant furniture store and caused about $2,000 in damage, officials said. Reported by a woman who lives in an apartment across the street, the fire in the former Payless Furniture store was extinguished ex·tin·guish tr.v. ex·tin·guished, ex·tin·guish·ing, ex·tin·guish·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); quench. 2. To put an end to (hopes, for example); destroy. See Synonyms at abolish. 3. by firefighters before the flames could get into the attic and spread to adjoining businesses in the 500 block of East Palmdale Boulevard. ``I'm just glad I caught it in in time,'' said neighbor Lashanti Trice, who called 911 when she saw smoke just after 8 a.m. ``There was smoke just pouring out of it.'' Firefighters said they found unmistakable signs the fire was set intentionally. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. arson detectives will be handling the investigation. The glass front doors were shattered shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. and the doors unlocked, but when firefighters tried to push them open something was in the way. After forcing their way inside, the firefighters found that someone had put a sheet of plywood in front of the doors and tipped a soda vending Soda vending is the business of selling single-serving containers of soda, such as 12 fl. oz. (354 ml) cans or 20 oz. (590 ml) bottles, from electronic vending machines. Soda vending is a type of full line vending. machine against it. In a rear room behind the empty showroom firefighters found a stack of magazines and other trash that had been doused with a flammable liquid Generally, a flammable liquid means a liquid which may catch fire easily. In the USA, there is a precise definition of flammable liquid as one with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. and ignited ig·nite v. ig·nit·ed, ig·nit·ing, ig·nites v.tr. 1. a. To cause to burn. b. To set fire to. 2. To subject to great heat, especially to make luminous by heat. . A ladder had magazines placed on the rungs, apparently an attempt to direct the flames into the attic, firefighters said. The magazines and other trash were stacked below a vent, also apparently to help the fire reach the attic. ``It's a good thing that the fire didn't take hold,'' said Fire Station 37's Capt. Dirk Wegner. ``If it made it into the attic, it would have been much worse.'' Firefighters extinguished the fire within a minute of their arrival. No one was injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. . Nearby businesses, including a tax preparation and immigration-aid office and a travel office, were not damaged, officials said. Greg Botonis, (661) 267-7802 gregory.botonis(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Officials investigate the spot where a fire started in a vacant furniture store in Palmdale on Wednesday night. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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