NEWPORT BEACH : Arson Suspected in Restaurant Fire
Police are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out in a Corona del Mar restaurant Wednesday morning and caused about $20,000 in damage.
Gasoline apparently was used to start the fire, which began about 5 a.m. at Danny K’s restaurant, 3050 E. Coast Highway, said Fire Department Capt. Ray Pendleton. Firefighters found evidence of the liquid on carpeting in the dining room and in the kitchen of the one-story, wood-frame building, Pendleton said.
“The fumes just about knocked you over when you walked in the building,” Pendleton said, adding that “there was a distinct pattern of liquid on the carpet where it burned, and a distinct outline of a spill.”
A police officer arriving at the scene put out the dining room fire with a hand-held extinguisher, but firefighters needed about 15 minutes to control the fire in the kitchen, Pendleton said.
The owner of the property, Newport Beach resident Gary Cox, said he was aware of the fire and damage done, but would not comment further on the incident.
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