A mother and cancer patient is left devastated after her Mission Viejo restaurant was destroyed in a massive fire.
“I don’t think there’s anything salvageable in there,” said Angelina Esqueda, owner of Green Chile Cantina. “It’s so inundated with smoke. Everything is black — all of the booths, the tables, the floors.”
On Sunday, Jan. 21, just before 7 a.m., firefighters responded to a massive fire engulfing the restaurant on the 23600 block of Via Linda.
The blaze left behind a trail of destruction including burned-out interiors, a collapsed ceiling, major water damage and more.
The total damage was estimated at around $400,000, according to Orange County Fire officials. The restaurant had just celebrated its grand opening in August 2023.
The destructive fire is the latest blow to Esqueda as she had been dealing with a cancer diagnosis shortly before the restaurant opened.
“On Jun. 22, I went to get my nails done and she was massaging my arm and she found a lump,” Esqueda recalled.