A fire at an apartment complex in Fountain Valley early Saturday damaged or destroyed at least 28 cars and displaced residents in 15 apartments.
Authorities received a call about the blaze at The Havens apartments, 10441 Slater Ave., at around 2:40 a.m.
Early TV news reports on Saturday said dozens of cars in a carport were damaged or destroyed. Fountain Valley Fire Capt. Nick Fasullo later said more than 17 cars burned. A reporter at the scene then counted 11 more.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Resident Kirk Hayhurst, 59, heard explosions and loud bangs at about 2:45 a.m. Moments later, he heard sirens.
When he stepped out to see what was happening, he saw a large wall of fire behind an apartment building over the carport on the west side of the complex.
“They were huge, huge flames. It was like something out of a horror movie,” he said. “I hadn’t seen flames that high in years.”
He watched as firefighters put out the blaze. “You could just see the plastic melting off the cars,” he said.
Brian Nagle, 50, said he lost his brand new car in the fire.
“I had just gotten it a month ago,” he said. “I was planning on starting a new business and all my stuff was in that car.”
Recently, there have been thefts in the carports. Hayhurst said he’s had stuff stolen twice recently.
He said police were already on site early Saturday morning, investigating a dumpster fire toward the back of the complex when the carport fire started.
They also said someone heard tires screeching from the back of the complex about 2:45 a.m.
“This is just a sad progression from what we’ve been seeing,” Hayhurst said.