HUNTINGTON BEACH : Workers Evacuated at Industrial Fire

A spectacular fire that erupted in an industrial complex Wednesday afternoon forced about 40 employees into the street as flames shot about 30 feet into the sky, witnesses said.

A large plume of smoke from the fire could be seen for miles.

“As soon as it hit the roof, it spread like wildfire,” said John Hunt, an employee at International Cassette Industries.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to control the blaze, which began about 2:30 p.m. Damage to the buildings was estimated to be $300,000. The cause of the fire is not yet known, authorities said.

All employees in the complex, at 16131 Gothard St., escaped unhurt; one firefighter sustained a minor eye injury and another suffered heat exhaustion, city Fire Inspector Bill Ogden said.

Paramedics at the Murdy Fire Station, about 150 yards away from the fire, saw smoke billowing out of the building and alerted firefighters, Ogden said.

Jeff Ferren, an 11-year employee of the cassette business, said another employee tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher but was unable to control it. Ferren said he was able to call 911 only seconds before the telephone lines went dead.

“Within minutes, flames were roaring out the door,” Ferren said. “I saw a door melt right off its hinges. It was a really hot fire, and there was no stopping it once it started. The roof is made of plywood and tar paper, and I think that’s what spread it.”

Kirk Kenton, who works across the street, said he watched the fire grow and feared he too might have to evacuate.

“There was such big flames shooting out of the roof and all kinds of black smoke,” Kenton said. “It was unbelievable.”

In all, four units in the industrial strip of businesses suffered from either fire or smoke damage.

After the blaze was extinguished, a group of about 25 employees sat solemnly on a brick wall down the street from their work, unable to get to their cars because of the fire investigation. Traffic on Gothard Street was diverted for several hours.

“There was not a lot of panic,” Hunt said. “Everyone just grabbed their belongings and walked out of the building.”