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Fire guts historic California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey

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Firefighters worked overnight Monday to extinguish a blaze that erupted at a historic yacht club in Marina del Rey.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call around 11:30 p.m. Monday for a structure fire at the California Yacht Club in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way, said Fred Fielding, a Fire Department spokesperson.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and fire engulfing the two-story building, fire officials said.

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Video from news outlets showed large flames consuming the structure as smoke billowed overhead. Multiple firetrucks and firefighters were called in to help contain the blaze.

Two firefighters suffered moderate injuries and were taken to a hospital, Fielding said. The extent of their injuries and their status was not immediately known.

The blaze was knocked down just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Jeremy Stafford, supervising fire dispatcher at the L.A. County Fire Department.

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The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Stafford said.

The California Yacht Club was started in 1922 by yachtsman from the Los Angeles Athletic Club and other yacht clubs, according to the club’s website .

Representatives for the club did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Alexandra E. Petri covers trends and breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered live news at the New York Times. A two-time reporting fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation, she graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism and international studies.

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Fire destroys historic California Yacht Club building in Marina del Rey

Two firefighters injured in the fire were treated at a hospital and released., by lauren coronado and jonathan lloyd • published december 12, 2023 • updated on december 12, 2023 at 9:54 pm.

Two firefighters were injured in a fire that destroyed a building at the historic California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey.

The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way. The injured firefighters were released from a hospital Tuesday morning.

Flames tore through the clubhouse. No other injuries were reported. None of the boats in the marina appeared to be damaged.

Members said the club holds a special place in their hearts. Jeff Jackson recorded video of the fire from his nearby condo.

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"It doesn't feel like a yacht club at all," Jackson said. "I call it my "Cheers" bar because it's just so warm and inviting. I was crushed just thinking about it. Such a great place... It's a very personal club. And I think anyone who is a member knows what I'm speaking of and the warmth and love we feel for them and they feel for us.

"It just breaks my heart. I don't know what they're going to do for Christmas."

Steve Hathaway arrived at the scene early Tuesday. He said the club became a significant part of his life after his family helped build it in the 1960s.

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"Heartbreaking. This has been my home for 40, 50 years," Hathaway said. "It's been a home for so many people. It tears me apart to see this."

The clubhouse and offices are open Wednesday through Sunday, but the docks and grounds are accessible at any time, according to the club's website . It was not immediately clear whether anyone was inside when the fire started.

The club offers dining and space for social events.

The yacht club was founded in 1922 in Wilmington Harbor near San Pedro. The current club in Marina del Rey was built in 1967.

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Flames engulf California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey; 2 firefighters injured

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. (KABC) -- Two firefighters were injured while battling flames that engulfed a yacht club that has been a local landmark in Marina del Rey for decades.

The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. Monday at the California Yacht Club on Admiralty Way, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Fire crews arrived on scene to heavy fire and smoke billowing from the building, and it was quickly upgraded to a 2nd alarm fire before it was eventually extinguished.

The injured male firefighters were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, but additional details about their injuries were not known. They have since been released.

The California Yacht Club started back in 1922. The former owner told Eyewitness News that his father helped build the Marina del Rey building over 50 years ago.

"It's been a home for so many people. We are so heartbroken right now... It tears me apart to see... It's just terrible," said Steve Hathaway.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

No other injuries were reported and no boats were damaged.

Related Topics

• MARINA DEL REY
• LOS ANGELES COUNTY
• BUILDING FIRE
• LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
• FIREFIGHTER INJURED
• FIREFIGHTERS

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Crime & Safety

Massive fire destroys historic yacht club in marina del rey, the overnight fire gutted the historic yacht club and sent two firefighters to the hospital with moderate injuries, officials said..

Rachel Barnes , Patch Staff

MARINA DEL REY, CA — A massive fire erupted overnight at a historic yacht club, gutting the two-story building and injuring two firefighters, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire department received a report of the fire at about 11:30 p.m. on Monday at the California Yacht Club in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way. A department spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times they arrived to find heavy smoke and flames engulfing the building.

Firefighters knocked down the flames at about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Two firefighters were transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The extent of their injuries and their status was not available.

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Rey with free, real-time updates from Patch.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.

California Yacht Club was founded in 1922 in the Wilmington Harbor near San Pedro before it moved to Marina del Rey in 1967, according to the club's website.

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California Yacht Club Destroyed in Fire

MARINA DEL REY— A huge fire destroyed the California Yacht Club, located in Marina del Rey, on Dec. 11.

Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call around 11:30 p.m. that night and arrived to find a massive two-story fire. 

Videos from news outlets show bright red flames traveling over the roof of the club and producing large black clouds of smoke.

Two firefighters suffered moderate injuries and were hospitalized before the blaze was extinguished just before 1:30 a.m. Dec. 12. The cause of their injuries has not been released. 

Among the most prominent California clubs, the California Yacht Club was established in 1922 and has a long history of promoting yachting and maritime activities. It has frequently hosted national and international regattas, with recent events including the J/70 World Championship, U.S. Junior Women’s Championship, Martin 242 North American Championship and CFJ National Championship.

The club was started in Los Angeles harbor by a group of loyal yachtsmen – most from the Los Angeles Athletic Club and the rest active in other early yacht clubs of that day. In 1941, America went to war, and the Coast Guard took over CYC’s facilities in Wilmington. Members continued to fly the Club Burgee, but after World War II, the facilities were so run down that CYC never could return to its birthplace.

Former owner Steve Hathaway noted that his father helped build the club in the 1960s. “It’s been a home for so many people,” said Hathaway in a statement. “We are so heartbroken right now… It tears me apart to see… It’s just terrible.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Searching for Answers: California Yacht Club Destroyed by Fire

I nvestigators searched Tuesday for the cause of a fire that destroyed the California Yacht Club, a fixture in Marina del Rey for half a century.

The early morning blaze injured two firefighters and left longtime club members and patrons devastated by the sight of a local institution left largely in rubble.

The flames were reported shortly before midnight Monday at the California Yacht Club in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The fire quickly went to a second alarm as on-scene commanders summoned more resources to the scene.

Two firefighters suffered injuries described as moderate while battling the flames and were taken to a hospital. Both were treated and later released.

The yacht club was founded in 1922 in Wilmington Harbor near San Pedro and the current facility in Marina del Rey was built in 1967, according to the club’s website.

Jeff Jackson, a Marina del Rey resident and longtime member of the club, shot cell phone video of the fire from his nearby 14th-floor condo. He told reporters the club was a welcoming gathering place.

“It just breaks my heart,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what they’re going to do for Christmas. … It doesn’t feel like a yacht club at all. It just feels like — I call it my `Cheers’ bar because it’s just so warm and inviting and as soon as you walk in the door, it’s `Hi J.J., how are you? How are the kids?’ And so it’s a very personal club. And I think anyone who is a member knows what I’m speaking of and the warmth and love we feel for them and they feel for us.”

Jackson said the club had recently switched to new owners, who were considering plans for remodeling the building.

A man who said he was the club’s former owner told OnScene.TV his father helped build the structure in the 1960s.

“This has been my home for, you know, 40 years, 50 years,” he said. “… It’s been a home for so many people. We are so heartbroken right now.”

According to reports from the scene, two employees may have been inside the building when the fire broke out, possibly near the kitchen. The cause of the blaze, however, remained under investigation.

The fire was restricted to the building, and no boats were damaged.

2-alarm fire destroys historic Calif. yacht club

Two los angeles county firefighters were injured during the fire in marina del rey.

Los Angeles County Fire Department/Facebook

By Alexandra E. Petri Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters worked overnight Monday to extinguish a blaze that erupted at a historic yacht club in Marina del Rey.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it received a call around 11:30 p.m. Monday for a structure fire at the California Yacht Club in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way, said Fred Fielding, a Fire Department spokesperson.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and fire engulfing the two-story building, fire officials said.

Video from news outlets showed large flames consuming the structure as smoke billowed overhead. Multiple firetrucks and firefighters were called in to help contain the blaze.

Two firefighters suffered moderate injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment, Fielding said. The extent of their injuries and their status was not immediately known.

The blaze was knocked down just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Jeremy Stafford, supervising fire dispatcher at the L.A. County Fire Department.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Stafford said.

The California Yacht Club was started in 1922 by yachtsman from the Los Angeles Athletic Club and other yacht clubs, according to the club’s website .

©2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Watch CBS News

Crews battle fire at California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey

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Massive fire destroys 60s-era yacht club in Marina del Rey

Two firefighters were hurt while battling a raging fire that destroyed a decades-old yacht club in Marina del Rey overnight. Carlos Herrera reports for the KTLA 5 News on Dec. 12, 2023. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/massive-fire-destroys-60s-era-yacht-club-in-marina-del-rey/

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