3-Alarm Fire Engulfs Restaurant at Irvine Strip Mall

Orange County Fire Authority fights a fire at House of Shabu Shabu restaurant in Irvine, Calif., on June 20, 2023. Courtesy of the Orange County Fire Authority

A fire at a strip mall in Irvine was extinguished in less than an hour, leaving one building damaged on June 20.

The fire began around 6:42 p.m. Tuesday at 5394 Walnut Avenue, near 99 Ranch Market. Multiple units from the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) responded to the fire, and the Irvine Police Department was on scene, according to a Twitter post from the police department around 7 p.m.

The House of Shabu Shabu restaurant was the only structure on fire, surrounding units of the shopping center threatened by the fire were evacuated and shut down, along with the westbound Walnut Avenue lanes.

At 8:07 p.m., fire authorities reported the fire was extinguished without any injuries.

Burnt roof of the Shabu Shabu House restaurant after the Orange County Fire Authority extinguished a fire in the building in Irvine, Calif., on June 21, 2023. Julianne Foster/The Epoch Times

“Thanks to an aggressive fire attack we were actually able to prevent the fire spread to adjacent businesses,” said OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen. “Only one [structure] has been impacted and no injuries have been reported.”

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire.