HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE — A fire destroyed equipment of a youth baseball league and consumed the majority of a snack shack and an equipment room Saturday night.
Firefighters responded to the fire that consumed the two outbuildings at 9:30 p.m. at the Hidden Valley Lake Little League field, Suzie Blankenship of CAL FIRE said.
“Everything was lost,” organizers of the Middletown Cobb Little League stated.
League Coaches Coordinator Phil Mascari said the league lost maintenance equipment, safety equipment, a score board, coolers, bases, freezers, catcher and umpire gear, uniforms and other equipment. According to the league”s board, it will cost more than $20,000 to replace the equipment lost for the 15 teams it serves.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by CAL FIRE and the Lake County Sheriff”s Office, Mascari said. He added that authorities are investigating a possible arsonist. The league set up a page for fundraising on Facebook and is accepting donations sent to MCLL at P.O. Box 1024 Middletown, CA 95461. The league”s board is also seeking businesses that can host or help with fundraising, Mascari said.
Isaac Brambila is an associate editor for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636 ext. 37 or at ibrambila@record-bee.com.
