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Article by Lesha Ruffin, KXTV-TV:
Fire investigators were working to determine what led started a 5-alarm fire that destroyed a landmark Sacramento ice skating rink Sunday morning.
A call to 911 reported a car fire at the rear of the Iceland ice skating rink at 1430 Del Paso Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jim Doucette said.
When firefighters arrived, the entire back of the skating rink was completely engulfed in flames. As firefighters entered from the front, crews quickly realized the entire building as well as the attic were already fully involved, Doucette said.
“This is one of the biggest ones I’ve ever been on. It was a huge ball of fire,” said Doucette.
Due to the old construction of the building, firefighters didn’t have enough time to save the 70-year-old landmark before it began to collapse, Doucette said.
All of the responding firefighters were able to safely get out in time and no one was injured, according to Doucette.
It took an hour for firefighters to gain control of the blaze and prevent neighboring structures from being damaged. Sacramento Metro firefighters also assisted in putting the fire out.
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While Doucette said investigators would continue sifting through the wreckage to piece together what happened, Iceland owner Chris Lord said he believes the cause of the fire is all too clear.
“There was a stolen car out there that was torched and it was right next to the building,” Lord said.
The building, erected by Bill Kerth Sr. in 1940, was deemed a complete loss with damages reaching nearly $1.5 million, Lord said. The property is still owned by Bill Kerth’s grandson, former Sacramento city council member Rob Kerth.
“This is the grand dame of ice skating in Sacramento,” Kerth said. “She got quite a thumping today, but she’s not down for the count. There will be another day.”
On their Iceland Memories web site, the Kerth family said they hoped to rebuild Iceland in time to celebrate its 70th anniversary in November.
Throughout the afternoon Sunday, dozens of curious locals came out to see the damage for themselves, including many who still had fond memories of gliding across the Iceland rink.
“My mother was a figure skater. She danced in all the shows here. I can remember hanging on to the wooden rail, watching her go round and round and round,” said Melinda Johnson, a third generation skater at Iceland.
Lord said that while Iceland had no fire insurance, he was committed to getting the location back up and running.
“I’m going to find out who my friends are. Financially, we’ll pull it all in and we’ll build another one,” Lord said.
Doucette said Sacramento arson investigators were being aided in the case by officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
