Solvent-Soaked Rags Cause Restaurant Fire

Rags, paint and solvents ignited a fire at a Ventura Boulevard restaurant Monday night, causing $150,000 in damage, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

The blaze broke out at 11:15 p.m. in a storage closet at the Bucco di Beppo restaurant, a new Italian eatery that was set to open March 5 in an existing building near Encino Avenue, said Bob Collis, a Fire Department spokesman.

About 60 firefighters from a dozen companies brought the flames under control within half an hour, Collis said.

“The fire started in a closet that, unfortunately, contained rags saturated with paint and solvents used in the renovations,” Collis said. “This is one of the [fires] that comes under spontaneous combustion.”

Firefighters used chain saws to cut through the roof to release heavy smoke trapped in an attic above the storage closet where the paint supplies were kept, Collis said.

“The fire occurred during the height of the downpour on Monday night,” he said. “The rain hampered our efforts as well as the heavy smoke.”

Tony Penn, a managing partner of the Minneapolis-based restaurant chain, said Tuesday he was grateful the damage was minimal and will not significantly delay the eatery’s planned opening.

“Only a small portion of the restaurant was damaged,” Penn said. “It turned out that we got lucky.”