Merchandise Fuels Warehouse Blaze

SANTA ANA — A Santa Ana warehouse filled to the rafters with artificial Christmas trees, plastic ornaments and silk flowers burned in a stubborn blaze that kept firefighters busy late into Friday night.

The fire at Mark Roberts Wholesale Silk Flowers, Fruits and Berries started about 5:40 p.m., Roberts said, as he and about six workers were getting ready to go home.

He watched firefighters train water through billowing black smoke into the hole that used to be his roof.

“There’s not much they can do now,” he said.

Santa Ana Fire Inspector Eric Evans said one of the employees spotted the flames and tried to put them out with an extinguisher before calling 911. Flames 40 feet high had already broken through the roof when firefighters arrived at the 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 1630 E. Saint Gertrude Place.

The blaze was visible throughout the city and from the Costa Mesa Freeway, and Evans said the department got more than 40 calls to 911.

The fire was contained within 35 minutes, but firefighters needed hours to completely douse the blaze.

The melting plastic became as flammable as gasoline and pushed the fire temperature to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Evans said. Worse, the cardboard boxes containing the merchandise insulated the flames from the water.

Firefighters said they had no idea yet what caused the blaze.

Cathy Zikakis, owner of A to Z Wholesale Floral Supply, in an identical warehouse next door, said Roberts has fire insurance and was at least able to save the computer that contained his records. But she said her friend lost all his merchandise, stacked up because of the UPS strike and in anticipation of Christmas orders.

“At least, thank God, no one was hurt,” she said. Her warehouse is packed tight with long, high shelves crammed with ornaments, decorations and artificial Christmas trees ready for shipping to retailers in time for the holidays. And she said Roberts’ warehouse had even more merchandise.

“His season is going to be over,” she said.

In addition to his customers and, in turn, their customers, Roberts has 22 employees depending on his business, she said.

“There will be a lot of people disappointed,” she said.

Bonnie Gross, owner of Great Beginnings Flowers in Santa Ana and one of Roberts’ customers, said, “He was in our store the other night--he was real enthused. It’s heartbreaking. We know how hard he’s worked for so many years.”

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Smoky fire

Firefighters worked late into the night Friday battling warehouse blaze.