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By SARA CARDINE
Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant in Huntington Beach has temporarily been closed following a fire that broke out on Main Street early Wednesday morning. The fire damaged the building and sent smoke into Rockin’ Fig Surf Shop, which is adjacent.
Jennifer Carey is the public affairs manager for the city. She said that building inspectors had yellow-tagged the building while the owners waited to have the county health officials inspect the property.
She said the Huntington Beach Fire Department received a phone call about a fire that appeared to start in the kitchen of the downtown popular restaurant at around 5:50 am.
The two-alarm blaze was quickly extinguished by firefighters from Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and other nearby units.
Carey stated that the building was knocked down quickly and so damage to it was minimal. The building has a yellow tag as of right now. The Orange County Health Department will be checking out the kitchen.
A yellow tag is used to close a building after a fire. It allows limited access but prevents the business from being open while it evaluates the structure.
The restaurant was closed on Wednesday, according to an employee at El Ranchito who answered the telephone. He said that the manager of the restaurant was busy with phone calls.
El Ranchito, located in a strip-mall on Main Street’s 300 block, has occupied a shopfront since 1999, between the Makin’ Waves Hair Salon and Rockin’ Fig Surf Headquarters. The latter, it was reported, had suffered smoke and water damages.
Susie Smith Coelho is the owner of Makin’ Waves. She said that she woke up to the news of the first fire in 27 years.
Someone called me about 10 minutes past 6 am. She said, “I came running down and the had already broken the door”, as the replacement of her front door was underway.
Salon owner says the fire would have caused more damage if someone had not set up tables and chairs outside the Sugar Shack Cafe when it broke out.
She added, “He smelled the smoke and dialed 911.” If it hadn’t happened the way that it did, then our entire block would have been on fire. No one would’ve called if it happened at 3 in the morning. “We’re very grateful.”
Smith-Coelho said that the situation at El Ranchito next door was far worse. Although the kitchen was completely charred and looked melted, the dining area remained largely untouched. The fire was started by an unattended restaurant.
It is sad that El Ranchito may have to close during the holiday season. This will affect the owner and the staff. “But they will rebuild,” said she. It could have been worse,” she said.
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