The Long Beach Fire Department responded to a fire at the city’s colorful Pride Lifeguard Tower early Tuesday and found it fully engulfed in flames, officials reported.
The Pride Lifeguard Tower, which sat on the sand between 12th and 13th places, went in flames sometimes before midnight on Monday, officials said. The rainbow tower was painted by LGBTQ+ members of the Fire Department’s marine safety division in June 2020. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Fire Department said the rainbow tower symbolized “our strong support for the diversity within our ranks & community.”
Pictures shared to the Long Beach Fire Department’s Twitter showed the once red, orange, yellow, green and blue tower reduced to a burned frame and a pile of ashes strewn across the sand.
Early this morning, fire resources responded to the Pride Lifeguard Tower fully engulfed. LGBTQ members of the Marine Safety Division painted the tower during Pride month last year. The tower served as a symbol of our strong support for the diversity within our ranks & community. pic.twitter.com/dlrdSWM3yN
— Long Beach Fire (CA) (@LBFD) March 23, 2021
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said the city’s Pride Lifeguard Tower will be rebuilt “better and brighter.”
“I personally have little doubt this was an act of hate,” he said in a tweet.
Last night, our PRIDE lifeguard station that was painted by LGBTQ+ lifeguards, burned down. The fire is under investigation but I personally have little doubt this was an act of hate. To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter. pic.twitter.com/VxNQZgCBpF
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) March 23, 2021
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Who knew scuba gear could be that handy.
that brought a smile to my face 🙂
Payback’s a bitch! You tear down and vandalize our statues and we’ll tear down your phoney pride.
Does this mean there are Fa…Oops…I mean Rainbow LGBTQ+ people in San Diego who are naturally attracted to becoming Lifeguards? I feel safer already.