El Centro Cardenas evacuated after kitchen catches fire

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY), Dozens of customers and employees at Cardenas Market are safe, following a fire that started inside one of the kitchen vents of the store Monday evening.

According to the El Centro Fire Department, the fire started around 5:00 p.m.

Thanks to people who called 911, firefighters were dispatched to the fire.

The station located just a block down from the store was able to see the flames and smoke from the station. They rushed to the store and were able to keep the fire from spreading further.

Customers and eployees were immediately evacuated.

The fire department said the fire started inside one of the hooded vents of the tortilla kitchen.

Employees working in the kitchen said they didn't even realize there was a fire.

It wasn't until they were evacuated from the building and they walked outside, that's when they saw the side of the building was engulfed in flames.

“We were in shock, there was no smoke, no flames we couldn’t even smell the fire. I’m just grateful to Go, nothing happened to us and that a person entered the store just at the right time to warn us," said Benardo Alaniz, employee.

“Luckily there were no injuries reported or no person that was trapped in the building. There is some smoke damage to the building as well as water and fire damage, but other than that the store is pretty much intact," said Cedric Cesena, Battalion Chief ECPD.

Cheif Cesena says their goal is to get the store powered back up so store owners can begin cleaning up.