The Bike Palace, a San Pedro mainstay for more than 50 years, was the only place some locals would go to buy a new bike.
But now, it is boarded up.
That’s because it was damaged during a devastating, fast-moving fire that exploded around 9 p.m. on Dec. 23 and also burned at least one other neighboring business in the 1600 block of South Pacific Avenue.
The Bike Palace structure, according to owner Tony Jabuka, was built in 1925 and was originally the home of a Buick dealer, San Pedro Motors.
An investigation into what caused the blaze is ongoing, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Lindsey Lantz. Per protocol, the fire has been referred to the arson unit but what caused the conflagration remains unknown, Lantz said on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
But regardless of what caused the fire, one thing is certain: It caused “heavy damage” to The Bike Palace.
Los Angeles firefighters battled the blaze for two hours according to the official LAFD release. They managed to save the majority of another business, International Motors.
The flames exploded through the roof of the connected single-story commercial structure in the 1600 block of South Pacific Avenue, LAFD said in a Thursday, Dec. 24, press release.
LAFD Assistant Chief Paul Pham, the incident commander, officially declared the fire out at 11:02 p.m. Dec. 23, two hours after the initial dispatch, the press release said. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or civilians.
But there were at least 30 lithium-ion batteries at The Bike Palace, which required specialized handling and monitoring to prevent hazardous reignition, LAFD said.
As the shock still wears off, and insurance and myriad other issues are being navigated by Jabuka in the week since the blaze, efforts have launched to assist in the recovery.
“We have decent insurance,” he said in a Wednesday phone interview.
The days since the fire have been filled with sorting through insurance and other complex issues related to the aftermath of the blaze, Jabuka said, and he’s assembled a team to help with all of that.
Some 10 to 15 bikes had been on order for Christmas, Jabuka said. But because of the fire, they weren’t delivered. A collection of sports memorabilia that displayed on the store’s wall was also destroyed.
“I feel so bad for my customers,” Jabuka said. “I’m making a list and I wish it had been one day later so we could have delivered (the bikes for Christmas).
“We’re working through all of that now.”
The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce has asked the Harbor Area Business Source Center, a free service for business owners or start-ups in Los Angeles, for funding help and assistance through the center’s programs.
And an online fundraiser has also been posted by the family, with about $50,000 raised so far, half of the goal that was originally set to help the shop’s employees.
“No one was hurt and nearby housing was safe,” Jabuka’s daughter, Jacqueline, said on the GoFundMe page. “Unfortunately, everything in the shop was lost, and due to the hazardous conditions created by burning materials, Tony and the employees of the shop are not able to return.
“At this time, we kindly ask for help in supporting the employees who no longer have a job to come to,” she added. “We deeply appreciate the kind words and stories we’ve already heard from the community about their memories from the shop; they truly mean the world in this unbelievably difficult time.”
Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker, whose 15th District includes San Pedro, has spoken to Jabuka and “has offered to assist in any way we are able to,” said a spokesperson from his office.
Matty “Kuzma” Domancich, who died in 2019 at the age of 96, founded The Bike Palace. He was a lifelong San Pedro resident and one of the town’s best-known boosters. Jabuka, who came with his family from Croatia to San Pedro when he was 7 years old, is Domancich’s godson — their fathers were close friends and attended San Pedro High together — and Jabuka went to work for Domancich in the shop when he was in college.
Domancich sold the store to Jabuka in 1987 — and the latter has owned and operated it ever since.
“I could have never imagined something like this,” Jabuka said, praising the firefighters who responded.
“We were so thankful; they gave it their all,” he added. “My wife and I (afterward) delivered hams to the local station.”