ABOVE: City of Long Beach Pride Lifeguard Tower before and after fire. Photo via the Long Beach Fire Department.
LONG BEACH, Ca. | A lifeguard tower that was painted in the bright colors of the LGBTQ Rainbow Pride flag was burned down to its steel frame early March 23, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Fire Department said.
The LBFD responded to a call for a structure fire located on the sand between 12th and 13th places at around midnight.
The rainbow tower was painted by LGBTQ+ members of the LBFD’s marine safety division last 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.”
A tweet posted to the LBFD’s Twitter account Tuesday indicated that the tower will be replaced and repainted by Lifeguards. It added that the source of the fire is under investigation.
Early this morning, fire resources responded to the Pride Lifeguard Tower fully engulfed. 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. pic.twitter.com/dlrdSWM3yN
— Long Beach Fire (CA) (@LBFD) March 23, 2021
