Community Corner
Update: Explosion Causes Balboa Island Basement Fire
The Balboa Island basement caught fire when fuel vapors from a portable gas tank for a small boat leaked into the pilot light area of a water heater.
A fire broke out in a Balboa Island basement Wednesday morning when a portable gas tank leaked into a pilot light area of a water heater, but no one was injured, according to the Newport Beach Fire Department.
The fire was reported about 10 a.m. at a home located at 530 S. Bayfront. Capt. Glenn White said the fire was contained to the basement and did not spread to the rest of the house, which was the home of the late actor Buddy Ebsen, best known as Jed Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies."
The basement was used to store materials for the Balboa Island Yacht Club, according to White, and one of the items was a portable gas tank for a small boat.
"Data collected during the fire investigation indicates gasoline leaked from the portable fuel container, which released ignitable vapors that subsequently entered the pilot light area of the water heater located in the basement," White said. "This resulted in a fuel vapor explosion which in turn ignited materials stored inside the basement."
White said the locked double doors of the basement were blown open by the force of the explosion.
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Fire officials said residents should use caution when using portable containers to store fuel inside a home and make sure the water heater is elevated on a 30 inch platform when nstalled in areas where fuels are stored.
The home suffered smoke damage only. The property damage was estimated at $15,000, White said.
Firefighters were seen pulling damaged Halloween decorations, surfboards, paddleboards and other decorations from the basement.
-Patch photographer Susan Hoffman contributed to this report.
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