BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Fire sparks $1,000...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Fire sparks $1,000 in damage at yacht club

A single-alarm fire at Newport Harbor Yacht Club Thursday

afternoon caused about $1,000 in structural damage, Newport Beach

Fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the call at about noon at the yacht club

in the 700 block of West Bay Avenue and found that a fire had begun

in an interior wall and extended up the side of the building, said

Donna Boston, public information officer for the Fire Department.

She said the fire originated after maintenance work required by

the Fire Department was performed on some copper pipes. The fire was

put out in about 20 minutes, Boston said.

The yacht club was put on a “24-hour fire watch” on Wednesday

after a routine inspection by Fire Prevention officials revealed that

the building neither had a water supply nor a Fire Department

connection, she said. The club complied and was in the process of

reconnecting the water supply when a plumber doing the job noticed

signs of a fire and called the Fire Department, Boston said.

She said the plumber’s prompt action helped limit the damage to

the club.

Sewage spill closes Crow’s Nest Marina

The Orange County Health Care Agency closed a section of Newport

Harbor on Thursday after raw sewage leaked into the water.

The Crow’s Nest Marina section of the harbor was closed down to

swimmers and divers. The agency announced the closure at 5 p.m.

The area will remain closed until bacteria levels in the water

return to acceptable levels.