JOHN SIMERMAN
San Jose Mercury News

Firefighters battling a blaze inside a Chinese restaurant in El Cerrito Sunday morning heard pounding from a walk-in freezer and found an employee locked inside.

The fire, at L & L Chinese Seafood Restaurant on the 10100 block of San Pablo Avenue, started in the kitchen after the worker lit up oil in kettles, then entered the freezer around 8:15 a.m. and could not escape, said Battalion Chief Michael Pigoni of the El Cerrito Fire Department.

Firefighters from El Cerrito and Richmond got the call at 8:41 a.m. and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof area and doors on the side and rear of the restaurant, near the kitchen. Responding with five engines, a truck and a breathing support unit, they put out the blaze within 15 minutes, Pigoni said.

The blaze caused major fire damage in the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the restaurant, said Pigoni, who estimated the equipment and structural loss at about $350,000.

The worker had remained locked in the freezer for about 35 to 45 minutes. He left unscathed, Pigoni said.

"It appears he comes in early to start prepping food, gets all the stoves up and running. He had gone into the freezer to get something and the door closed behind him. Something appears to have failed in the latch mechanism. We actually had to pry the door open to get him out," Pigoni said.

"The man was cold."

Copyright 2011 San Jose Mercury News
All Rights Reserved
February 27, 2011