Blasts, Fire Gut Restaurant; Arson Blamed

Three explosions started a fire that gutted a Vietnamese restaurant in Stanton and caused about $150,000 worth of damage early Tuesday, police said.

The blasts occurred about 3:15 a.m at Au Bon Temps de Saigon in Katella Square, a little mall at Katella and Western avenues, Police Sgt. Steven Kelch said. They had been set by arsonists, Kelch said, but police had no suspects and knew of no motive.

The fire enveloped the restaurant, owned by Nga Nguyen of Garden Grove, and caused $100,000 damage to the building and $50,000 to equipment, Stanton firefighter Robert Soto said.

A vacant store next to the restaurant was heavily damaged by the fire, smoke and water, Soto said. Several neighbors reported similar damage, but no one was injured, Kelch said.

Police said they did not know what type of explosives were used.

Police are questioning three people, including the owner of a white car seen speeding from the location after the explosions, Kelch said. Witnesses gave the car’s license number to investigators, who found the car Tuesday afternoon in Westminster, Kelch said. The owner was voluntarily answering police questions, he said.

Several people in the area reported the explosions and fire. Approximately 18 firefighters from the Stanton, Orange County and Anaheim fire departments controlled the blaze in about 40 minutes, Stanton Fire Capt. Richard Harvey said.

The Stanton Fire and Police departments, along with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which has expertise in explosives, are investigating.

Neighbors said the restaurant was family-oriented and served Vietnamese and French food. By Tuesday afternoon, smoke was still rising from the debris, and the restaurant’s metal awning twisted outward. A blackened stove in the parking lot and a smoke-damaged sign were the only evidence that a restaurant had existed.

Nancy Zinsli, the owner of Katella Square, said she does not know where to begin in estimating the damage.

“I’m sort of numb,” Zinsli said. “I keep looking at that space and I wonder if I take a nap it would go away. At least no one was hurt. That was the good part. But it’s still not all right. But I guess we can deal with it.”

The charred building was the first thing Dr. Bud Bradshaw, a chiropractor, and his wife, Anita, saw when they arrived at the mall at 8:45 a.m. The Bradshaws, who rent an office three doors from the restaurant, also found their carpeting ruined by water and their office filled with smoke. They could not receive patients.

“This is unbelievable,” Bradshaw said, shaking his head and looking at the firemen sifting through the restaurant debris. “I’m just glad the fire didn’t spread to us.”

Herman Rivera, owner of European Car Parts Fiat Lancia, two doors away from the fire, said his business sustained at least $20,000 in damages. Water ruined his computer system and destroyed several customer order forms. The store’s linoleum was peeling, water was seeping from the ceiling and the store’s glass door was shattered, but Rivera said he would stay open.

“My store is the only income I have. If I close down the doors, I can’t survive,” Rivera said.