The flames charred the building and burned into the attic of the Catalina Express building Monday morning. Photo courtesy the Long Beach Fire Department.
Flames charred the building and burned into the attic of the Catalina Express terminal Monday in Long Beach. Photo courtesy the Long Beach Fire Department.

Police arrested a woman suspected of starting a blaze at a Catalina Express terminal building this morning in Long Beach, according to authorities.

The flames broke out around 5 a.m. on the exterior of the building and burned their way into the attic, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.

About 45 firefighters responded to battle the blaze. Photo courtesy the Long Beach Fire Department.

It took around 45 firefighters about 30 minutes to douse the blaze at the building, which is near the Queen Mary. One of them suffered minor injuries during the operation, Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin said.

After the blaze was out, officers took 52-year-old Sylvia Piccirillo of Long Beach into custody on suspicion of arson, LBPD spokeswoman Shaunna Dandoy said. Piccirillo was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail, according to Dandoy.

A representative for Catalina Express said the building isn’t an active terminal. It’s rented out to a charter company called Catalina Classic Cruises, said Karen Gee-McAuley.

Both companies continued normal operations, she said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with more information from police and Catalina Express clarifying they don’t run any boat operations out of the building.

Jeremiah Dobruck is managing editor of the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.