Fire burns business in downtown San Luis Obispo

A fire damaged a downtown business and killed two cats in San Luis Obispo on Saturday morning, the Fire Department said.

At 8:09 a.m., the department received a call reporting smoke coming from CCH Pools at 198 South St., according to San Luis Obispo Fire public information officer James Blatter.

Firefighters arrived on scene at 8:12 a.m. and were able to extinguish the fire by 8:35 a.m.

The fire was contained to the property and no people were injured, Blatter said.

CCH Pools owner Catalina Belhovskyi said a malfunctioning battery sparked the fire.

“Fortunately, the fire burst a water pipe, and the water managed to extinguish most of the flames before the fire department arrived,” she said in an email to The Tribune.

“We are actively working with our insurance providers to address this matter and restore our operations as soon as possible.” Belhovskyi said. “We appreciate your understanding and support during this challenging time and look forward to reopening to the public in the near future.”