Long Beach police say they arrested a man on suspicion of lighting a fire that sparked an explosion and gutted a home in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town neighborhood late Monday night.
More than a dozen fire engines, trucks and ambulances rushed to the second-alarm blaze on Junipero Avenue just south of Anaheim Street around 11:45 p.m., according to Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree.
The one-story house was engulfed in flames, and as the fire spread, a propane tank on the property blew up, according to Crabtree. Thankfully, nobody was hurt by the blast, he said.
Firefighters doused the blaze in about 30 minutes.
Two residents and their dog escaped the flames uninjured, Crabtree said, but the resulting damage was extensive. The Red Cross helped them find a temporary living arrangement, according to the LBFD.
A man who did not live at the house was treated for minor burns, according to Crabtree.
Police said he was arrested on suspicion of “causing a fire to an inhabited structure and possession of drug paraphernalia.”
Authorities identified him as Valentin Rocha, a 45-year-old resident of Long Beach.
This isn’t the first time there’s been a large fire at this particular home. In April 2024, firefighters also doused a large blaze.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with details of the arrest.