Fire Interrupts Printing Operations Briefly at Times’ Plant in Costa Mesa
COSTA MESA — A fire in an air-conditioning system at the Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition’s plant knocked out printing operations in the pressroom for a brief time Wednesday, fire and newspaper officials said.
The flames were confined to the plant’s main air-conditioning unit and were extinguished within 20 minutes after breaking out about 1:30 p.m., Costa Mesa Fire Department Capt. Scott Broussard said.
No one was injured, fire and newspaper officials said.
The fire broke out in a fan room, where workers were using torch welding machinery, said Bill Furlow, marketing director for The Times Orange County Edition.
Sparks from the welding ignited filtration bags, but two fire safety officers standing by with extinguishers immediately began to put out the flames. An employee was dousing the smoldering bags with a water hose when firefighters arrived about 1:35 p.m.
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