Barbecue, water heater spark fire A Newport...

Barbecue, water heater spark fire

A Newport Beach man escaped without injuries Saturday morning

after the propane tank of his barbecue grill caught on fire in his

apartment’s balcony, fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the one-alarm fire at 10:50 a.m. after the Newport Beach police helicopter confirmed that there was a fire

in the balcony of the apartment unit in the 2500 block of Baypointe

Drive, said Donna Boston, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire

Department.

She said a spark from a water heater in the balcony hit the

propane tank causing the fire.

“The person had stepped in at the time and is very lucky he wasn’t

near the tank when it ignited,” Boston said.

A fire sprinkler in the balcony also sprayed water helping

firefighters put out the fire sooner, she said. The fire was in

control within 20 minutes Boston said.

There was “minimal” damage to the balcony and the fire did not

spread to nearby units, she said.