Officials Suspect Arson in Restaurant Blaze

An early morning fire that gutted a strip-mall restaurant and damaged two adjacent beauty shops may have been deliberately set, fire officials said Saturday. No injuries were reported.

Flames had already destroyed the restaurant roof when firefighters responded to the blaze at Bahar Royal Persian Cuisine in the 2600 block of East Coast Highway, said Newport Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Donald Jones.

The two-alarm fire was reported about 4:45 a.m. and was under control by 5:30 a.m., but not before it caused $400,000 in damage to the restaurant, Jones said. “It was already well-involved, burning through the roof by the time we arrived,” he said.

“We are very seriously looking at arson. There is reason to believe it was a deliberately set fire,” said Jones, who stressed that an investigation is ongoing. “We’re treating it as a crime right now.”

Jones said investigators are suspicious because the fire appears to have originated in several locations, an indication of arson.

The Newport Beach Fire Department was assisted by the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa fire departments, Jones said. A total of 34 firefighters and 11 firefighting units were involved.

The restaurant suffered $300,000 in structural damage and $100,000 in damage to its contents. It will be closed until repairs are made, Jones said.

The beauty salons suffered minor exterior damage from the flames, Jones said.