SF’s China Beach closed after vandals torch portable toilets

China Beach in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood was indefinitely closed after two of the beach’s portable toilets caught fire on Monday, August 15, 2016. China Beach in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood was indefinitely closed after two of the beach’s portable toilets caught fire on Monday, August 15, 2016. Photo: Rocky Birdsey / / Photo: Rocky Birdsey / / Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close SF’s China Beach closed after vandals torch portable toilets 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

San Francisco’s China Beach was temporarily closed after officials said a suspected arsonist lit two of the beach’s portable toilets on fire Monday night.

U.S. Park Police and the San Francisco Fire Department responded to the blaze at China Beach in the Sea Cliff neighborhood close to midnight, said Nathan Sargent, a Golden Gate National Recreation Area spokesman. The fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

The fire spread to a nearby wooden windbreak structure which was also engulfed in flames, Sargent said. The main building at the beach sustained minor heat damage. No injuries were reported.

“It was a pretty big fire. Flames were lighting up the place,” said Rocky Birdsey, a retiree who saw the flames from his home nearby. “It was pretty clear that it was not an accidental fire. There’s nothing combustible in that area.”

No fires are permitted on the beach, Sargent said. The area remained closed as authorities investigated.

China Beach, a cove between Baker Beach and Land's End, attracts a variety of swimmers and sunbathers with views of the Marin Headlands and The Golden Gate Bridge.

Anyone with more information was asked to call the U.S. Park Police Tip Line at (415) 561-5150.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno