Early Monday morning, a fire was reported in the 200 block of Bay Street, spreading to multiple palm trees and one nearby structure.
According to the Santa Monica Fire Department, they responded to a 911 call at 1:37am, but thankfully no injuries were reported as all occupants in the nearby structures had already self-evacuated. Despite experiencing high winds, crews were able to extinguish the flames within 25 minutes, but remained on scene for over an hour to ensure the area was safe for residents to return. Residents were allowed back to their homes by 3am.
Justine Yohn, a neighbor who lives just two doors along from the property that was affected, told the Daily Press that she'd just got into bed after finishing her shift in a popular wine bar in Downtown Santa Monica, when she began to hear very loud fireworks being set off.
"I heard a really loud firework and I was like, 'okay, that was really close.' And then I continued to hear a lot of popping noises, just really loud popping noises. So I stepped outside to see what had happened," Yohn said.
"The family up front [of the affected building] is a young couple and they've just had a baby that's only six days old and there's an older lady named Anne who lives in the back with her dog," Yohn said, adding, "I walked outside and I saw the palm tree above their house and their bush is like completely on fire. A bunch of neighbors gathered outside and she [Anne] was yelling, 'That's my house. That's my house.' People called 911 and first responders came right away."
The Fire Department said in a statement that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Santa Monica Police Department, but Yohn says that the liquor store on the corner, Star Liquor, has some CC camera footage and, "There's a ring camera also that has footage of a red car throwing a lit roman candle out the window into the bushes."
"It was really dramatic and frightening to think in such a sweet neighborhood, like this little Ocean Park area, that something like this could happen," she said, adding, "I think that the liquor store down the street has been able to catch a license plate ... and my roommate said she heard fireworks going on at the beach around 10pm."
According to the Fire Department, the infant was assessed for smoke inhalation, but no treatment was required.
The Santa Monica Police Department has said that this is being assigned to a detective for follow-up. Witnesses at the time reported a firework (unsure as to what kind) and possibly a white hatchback fleeing the scene. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
