Quick Take
A fire tore through a home in Capitola Village on Monday night, killing one person and damaging the building next door that's home to restaurants Mijo’s Taqueria and Geisha Japanese Restaurant and Tea House.
A fire tore through a home in Capitola Village on Monday night, killing one person and damaging the building next door.
On Tuesday morning, Battalion Chief Jacek Kokot of the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County told Lookout that firefighters pulled one person out of the burning building at 204 Monterey Ave., where the fire started. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased, according to a Central Fire media release. Another individual was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates weren’t available as of late Tuesday morning.
Kokot is leading the investigation of the cause and origin of the fire. He said the two-story apartment building suffered major damage, mostly on the first floor. The flames blew out the windows on both floors and scorched the neighboring building, where restaurants Mijo’s Taqueria and Geisha Japanese Restaurant and Tea House sustained smoke and water damage.
“Our crews were able to get in there and stop the spread of fire fairly quickly, so there was fairly minimal damage in the exposed building” across the alley, Kokot said. “However, the main structure had significant, severe damage.” The fire was contained in about an hour, and crews remained at the scene overnight to monitor for flare-ups.
The owner of the taqueria, Anthony Guajardo, said he got a call about the fire just before 10 o’clock Monday night from a neighbor.
“When we got here, it seemed to be the house next door was on fire, but then those flames jumped over to this part of the building, specifically Geisha Sushi upstairs,” Guajardo said. “We don’t really know what the damage looks like inside, other than a bunch of water damage.”
It’s too soon to say when they might be able to reopen. They’ll know more after the building is inspected, Guajardo said.
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated to clarify that the building where Monday night’s fire started is a home, not an apartment.
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