A lifeguard tower that was painted in rainbow colors as part of last year’s Long Beach Pride Week burned to the ground Tuesday in what the city’s mayor dubbed “an act of hate.”
The colorful tower caught fire shortly after midnight and was completely gutted by the flames, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
“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,” according to a Twitter post from the fire department. The agency said the tower will be replaced and repainted by lifeguards.
Mayor Robert Garcia said the cause of the fire will be investigated, but he is convinced it was an act of hate-motivated arson.
“The fire is under investigation but I personally have little doubt this was an act of hate,” he wrote on Twitter. “To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter.”
Garcia told NBC4 there was nothing in the tower that could have sparked a fire, such as electrical outlets or natural gas. He also said it was the first time a lifeguard tower has caught fire in the city since the 1950s. According to the mayor, the fact it was the only one painted in rainbow Pride colors made it clear to him that the structure was targeted out of hate.
He told the station the circumstances are “pretty convincing that this was absolutely a hate incident.”