A spokesperson for the Long Beach Fire Department announced Tuesday that a lifeguard tower that was was painted in the vibrant colors of the LGBTQ Rainbow Pride flag had been burned down to its steel frame.
Around midnight, the LBFD responded to a call of a structure fire located on the beach between 12th and 13th places.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia told The Los Angeles Times that he believes the fire was an intentional act of hate.
“To have the one lifeguard station that’s burned to the ground be the one that was recently painted in pride colors — that leaves little doubt that this was a targeted incident,” he said. “As a gay man who is also the mayor of a city, I understand that hate incidents still happen. They happen to people I know, and they’ve happened to me.
“We’re going to build that lifeguard station back brighter and better than ever,” he added.
The rainbow tower was painted by LGBTQ+ members of the LBFD’s marine safety division in June of 2020.
In a statement posted on Twitter at the time, the Fire Department said the rainbow tower symbolized “our strong support for the diversity within our ranks & community.”
An investigation is underway, Long Beach Marine Safety Chief Gonzalo Medina said, according to The Times.
