Blaze temporarily closes Costa Mesa eatery

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- A Tuesday morning grease fire has forced a Mexican food

restaurant on 19th Street to temporarily shut its doors.

No one was hurt in the 9:06 a.m. blaze at Taco Mesa, said Costa Mesa

Fire Capt. Kevin Diamond. Employees had tried using a fire extinguisher

to quench the grease fire, which apparently began in the kitchen, but

that effort failed, he said.

Instead, it took 23 firefighters about 20 to 30 minutes to finish the

job, said Diamond, adding that three fire engines, two trucks and a

battalion chief responded to the call.

Diamond said damage was “minimal,” but it was still enough to close

the popular eatery for at least a few days

Upon firefighters’ arrival, a portion of the kitchen was in flames.

“The fire got into the [air ducts],” he said. “There was smoke and

heat damage to the kitchen and some of the vents on top of the stove were

charred.”

No customers were in the restaurant when the blaze broke out, said

Diamond. Most of the employees were out of the restaurant when

firefighters arrived, he said.

Following the fire, the employees swept up pools of water and charred

fragments from the kitchen floor as firefighters and the restaurant’s

owner, Ivan Calderon, examined the blackened walls.

“The place was barely open for business this morning when it

happened,” said Diamond.

He said building and health officials will inspect the restaurant to

let the owner and management know what repairs need to be made.

Calderon, the restaurant founder and owner, said he wants to get back

in business “as soon as possible.” But, he added, getting the restaurant

back in shape will take at least a few days.

The restaurant, the original of three in the county, has been open in

Costa Mesa for nine years.

“We need to get some repairs done,” said Calderon. “We need to take

care of plumbing, electric and mechanical problems before we can open for

customers.”