3-Alarm Fire Strikes Kearny Mesa Center
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A three-alarm fire caused extensive damaged Tuesday night at a shopping center at 7580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
The fire, reported at 8:23 p.m., was battled by about 85 firefighters.
The blaze apparently started in the offices of Decor Party-Wedding, a cake and decorating supply business. Two adjacent businesses were also heavily damaged.
The owner of Decor, George Wessman, said he had no idea what caused the fire but said the heavy smoke was probably from paper supplies already stored for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Heavy fog held the smoke near ground level, creating additional discomfort for firefighters. One firefighter was overcome by smoke inhalation. There were no employees at the businesses, which had closed for the night.
The fire caused traffic jams on both sides of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, which was closed for a half-mile stretch while firefighters fought the flames.
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