Small Fire at Valley Cineplex Forces Evacuation of 2,000

About 2,000 people were evacuated Sunday night from a Chatsworth movie theater because of a small fire, authorities said.

No one was injured, but plenty of irate filmgoers demanded refunds.

About 9:15 p.m., a blaze broke out in a storage area of Pacific Theatres Winnetka, a 21-screen megaplex at Winnetka Avenue and Prairie Street.

Moviegoer Paul LeClair of West Hills was watching “The Perfect Storm” at the time.

“In the moment when the helicopter was crashing, that’s when the lights went out, and I thought it was part of the movie,” LeClair said. “It was very ironic and bizarre.”

As the alarms went off, about 2,000 people poured out of the theaters, said Carl Jenkins, a security officer for the complex. Hundreds more who were lined up for tickets for the late shows were told to go home.

Sprinklers put out the fire before Los Angeles firefighters arrived.

“It’s smoky in there,” said Battalion Chief Thomas Brennan of the Los Angeles Fire Department. But “because the systems were working properly, I don’t think any of the patrons were in danger.”

Sitting dejectedly outside the theater, Mabel Wilson of South-Central Los Angeles said she will now have to wait to find out how “Shaft” ended.

“The evil ones, the bad guys, were joining forces. It was a really good scene,” Wilson said.

“We were right in the middle of it--we were disappointed,” said her friend, a Reseda man who asked not to be identified.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.