A fire at Green Chile Cantina early Sunday caused about $400,00 in damage, including a burned-out kitchen and a collapsed ceiling.
Lina Esqueda was diagnosed with lymphoma right before her Green Chile Cantina opened in Mission Viejo in August. Then, early on Sunday, Jan. 21, she was dealt another blow: A destructive fire broke out at the restaurant.
Shortly before 7 a.m., firefighters responded to reports of smoke from the roof of the building, where they encountered heavier smoke inside. The fire, knocked down in about 25 minutes, caused an estimated $400,000 in damage, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta said.
Esqueda was expecting a busy day at the eatery — which had been getting popular – when she and her husband Tony were woken up by a phone call from their cook, Jose Orozco.
“The restaurant is burning, the restaurant is burning!’, he told them in Spanish over the speakerphone.
