During store fire, coast traffic blocked Eastbound...

During store fire, coast traffic blocked

Eastbound traffic on East Coast Highway was blocked Sunday morning

while firefighters put out a blaze at the Amir Rug Gallery in Corona

del Mar.

The fire at 3127 E. Coast Highway was reported at 11:43 a.m.,

Newport Beach Fire Battalion Chief Jerry Strom said. Fire trucks

blocked the eastbound lane from 11:47 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., he said.

Firefighters took their time entering the building for fear of a

back-draft, Strom said. When they finally made their way into the

shop, it turned out to be a smoldering fire. Firefighters had extra

units come in because the stacked rugs in the building could have

meant a deep-seeded fire. The fire was under control within 15

minutes, Strom said.

There were 20 to 30 rugs stacked on a sofa in the building, and

that one side of the carpet stack had caught on fire, Fire Capt. Ron

Gamble said.

“I think because of the lack of oxygen it hadn’t taken off yet and

so it was a smoldering fire and we put it out before it got bigger,”

Gamble said.

More than $1 million in inventory was saved, firefighters said.

The cause of the fire and the exact amount of damage was not

available by press time.