Santa Ana : Morning Fire Damages Balboa Club Beer Bar

An early morning fire caused about $35,000 in damage to the Balboa Club, a 4th Street beer bar that was scheduled to close soon to make way for a downtown shopping center development.

About 26 firefighters took about 30 minutes to put out the fire at 316 East 4th St. after it was reported at 4:02 a.m. Battalion Chief Jim Dalton said the fire apparently began in some trash outside the building and spread inside through the attic.

Damage was confined to the rear quarter of the bar, and losses were estimated at $25,000 to the building and $10,000 to the contents. Although the damage was limited, Dalton said, the large number of firefighters was sent out because the bar is in an older building with several adjoining businesses. He said the potential of the fire called for a second alarm.

The bar, which sells beer and wine but no hard liquor, is one of several in the area scheduled to close down to make way for the Fiesta Marketplace, a Latino-oriented shopping center that will be a cornerstone of the city’s redevelopment plans for downtown. Owner Jesse Galvan, who couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, has signed an agreement that calls for the bar to be closed on April 18 and remodeled, although there are no firm plans for what the new use of the building will be.