Three-Alarm Fire Severely Damages Neil Young's Warehouse

A fire has destroyed part of Neil Young's warehouse in San Carlos, California, where he kept guitar cases, vintage cars, paintings and other artifacts. The fire at the 10,000 square-foot warehouse was reported at 2:55 AM, and by the time fire-fighters had put it out it had caused at least $1 million in damage. Officials estimate that 70 percent of the items in the warehouse were salvaged — though it's unclear how damaged they were. Arson is not suspected, and there is currently no official report on what was actually destroyed.

Watch Neil Young recording Le Noise

Local news clips show people from Young's staff salvaging items from the wreckage and moving them to an adjacent warehouse. A source who took a tour of two of Young's warehouses in San Carlos two years ago tells Rolling Stone he observed numerous vintage cars, one room with video cassettes and another with video material — though he believed they were sturdy enough to withstand serious damage, and were possibly even fire-proof.

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Song Stories

“Let My Love Open the Door”

Pete Townshend | 1980

A peppy, hopeful love song, "Let My Love Open the Door" became a U. S. Top Ten hit for Pete Townshend in 1980, anchored by the kind of repeating synthesizer figures that he'd used in some of the Who's recordings in the previous decade. Although Townshend brushed the song off as "just a ditty" in Rolling Stone shortly after its release, in 1996 he revealed it was about love of the holiest sort. "It's supposed to be about the power of God's love," he remarked. "That when you're in difficulty, whether it's major or minor, God's love is always there for you."

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