Long Beach To Unveil New Pride Lifeguard Tower To Replace One Destroyed In Fire
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) – The city of Long Beach Thursday will hold a dedication ceremony for a new Pride lifeguard tower that was built to replace one which was destroyed in an arson fire earlier this year.
The new Pride tower will be unveiled at Shoreline Way and 12th Place Thursday evening, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced.
It was installed by the Long Beach Fire Department.
"I'm very proud to see our lifeguard tower back as a symbol of inclusion and love," Garcia said in a statement. "I'm also excited for the community process to expand features and amenities around the tower to make an even more active space."
In the early morning hours of March 23, a rainbow-colored Pride lifeguard station at 12th Place was burned down in a fire that was deemed arson. No arrests have yet been made in the case, which is under investigation by the fire department.
Investigators "determined that no electrical or heat related ignition sources were present on the tower," the city said in a statement this week. "Based on witness statements and finding no ignition sources in the tower, this fire is classified as incendiary, arson."
The original tower was painted in rainbow colors in June of 2020 by LGBTQ+ members of the Long Beach Marine Safety Division, the fire department said.
