Construction Crew's Torch Sparks Fire At Santa Cruz Hotel
SANTA CRUZ (CBS SF) -- A construction crew using a torch caused a fire at a Santa Cruz hotel on Friday afternoon, a fire official said.
Fire crews responded to a report of flames and smoke from the roof of La Bahia Hotel located at 215 Beach St. around 1:50 p.m., Santa Cruz fire Battalion Chief Mike Venezio said.
Arriving crews found a "moderate" amount of smoke coming from the roof of a two-story building, Venezio said.
Firefighters reached the roof of the building, found the source of the blaze was at a corner under construction by a roofing company and extinguished the fire, he said.
One unit below sustained minor damage, Venezio said.
It appears fire started by accident and was caused by a roofing crew using a torch to make repairs, he said.
No injuries were reported.
The building is owned by the Seaside Company, which is providing assistance to the people who had been staying in the unit, according to Venezio.
Crews stayed at the scene for another hour to put out any hot spots, he said.
The blaze caused an estimated $40,000 in damage, according to Venezio.
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