$500,000 Blaze Hits Valley Firm

A predawn electrical fire caused an estimated $500,000 damage to a computer products firm today and firefighters erected sand dikes to contain water runoff from barrels of possibly toxic chemicals, authorities said.

The blaze at Action Computer Products, 16227 W. Lindbergh St. on the Van Nuys Airport property, was reported at 3:58 a.m., Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said. Nine companies of firefighters, including a hazardous materials unit, extinguished the blaze 25 minutes later, he said.