Latest Fires at Clinic Termed Suspicious

For the second time in three weeks, fire has shut patients, doctors and nurses out of the Family Health Plan clinic in Hawaiian Gardens, and arson investigators Monday called the latest incident suspicious.

Patients of the health maintenance organization were diverted to other clinics in the area. Los Angeles County fire and sheriff’s investigators searched for clues amid the charred areas of the clinic at 21520 Pioneer Blvd. on the grounds of Charter Community Hospital.

Arson experts are trying to determine why two apparently separate blazes broke out Sunday night two hours apart at different locations in the building. The second blaze erupted as firefighters finished mopping up the first.

A June 28 fire in the same building was confined to a janitor’s closet and did little more than smoke damage, but routed about 285 patients and medical personnel.

Sunday night’s blazes, however, caused more extensive damage--especially from smoke and water that entered the clinic laboratory. A spokeswoman said she did not know when the outpatient clinic will reopen.