Quick Take:
The cause of a Christmas morning explosion and fire in Capitola Village remains under investigation, but police do not believe that it is the result of suspicious activity. Three residents in the nearby area have been displaced by the incident.
The cause of an explosion and fire that broke out in Capitola Village early Christmas morning remains under investigation, according to Capitola Police Operations Captain Leo Moreno. He said that the incident is not considered suspicious.
PG&E spokesperson Andria Borba said that crews did not find any gas leaks when surveying the area.
Moreno said that the Esplanade and the 100 block of Monterey Avenue have mostly been reopened, aside from a small portion of Monterey Avenue and “right in front of El Toro Bravo,” where utility and construction workers need access to assess the damage.
Moreno added that some customers in the village had their utilities affected, including “six or seven” who had their electricity affected. Central Fire District Chief Jason Nee said that PG&E had to shut off gas and electricity to some of the village residents immediately following the incident. Borba said that there are five customers without gas service, but that the company expects to be able to restore their gas by Friday.
Moreno said that some businesses and residents may have experienced water outages, too, but did not know of specific numbers. He said three people who lived in the units surrounding the fire were displaced, two of whom were referred to the American Red Cross to find temporary shelter.
Mexican restaurant El Toro Bravo, which sits directly in front of the site of the explosion, sustained only minor damage, according to a post on its Facebook page. The post reads that the restaurant has no estimated reopening date, but it will be “sooner rather than later.”
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated with comments from PG&E spokesperson Andria Borba.
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