SEAL BEACH : Fire Guts Restaurant; Firefighter Injured
More than 70 firefighters worked for two hours to put out a blaze Sunday that gutted a Red Lobster restaurant.
The fire, which occurred about 6 a.m. at 620 Pacific Coast Highway, caused $1.3 million in damage, including $30,000 to food stored at the restaurant, authorities said.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but at “this point, we really don’t know how it started,” said Maria Sabol, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Department.
One firefighter severely sprained his ankle fighting the blaze, she said. No other injuries were reported.
The blaze was first noticed by several employees of a nearby fast-food restaurant, who saw smoke rising from the restaurant’s roof, Sabol said.
The fire gutted most of the 4,800-square-foot, two-story building. Firefighters, however, managed to save dozens of tables and chairs by moving them out of the structure while extinguishing the fire. The restaurant is free-standing and nearby structures were not threatened.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
