Fire devastates China Taste kitchen

Contributed File Photo: A fire devastated the kitchen at the China Taste restaurant early Thursday morning.

Contributed File Photo: A fire devastated the kitchen at the China Taste restaurant early Thursday morning.

Restaurant to be closed for an extensive amount of time

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnnews@gmail.com

SAFFORD – A kitchen fire erupted in the China Taste restaurant at 1385 W. Thatcher Blvd. in Safford early Thursday morning, decimating the interior of the building. 

The Safford Fire Department was dispatched at about 1:09 a.m. after heavy smoke and flames were seen coming through the roof. 

The building was secured, and firefighters had to force open doors to enter. They were immediately met with heavy fire originating in the kitchen area. According to Safford Fire Chief Clark Bingham, the fire was confined to the kitchen area, but the rest of the building was severely damaged by smoke and water. 

“There’s some heavy damage there,” Bingham said. “They’re going to be closed, unfortunately, for a while. It was a big fire.”

Fire department members were in service on the fire for about three hours and clocked back out of the station around 4:10 a.m. 

Chief Bingham advised the blaze began in the kitchen and while it is still classified as an unknown fire at this time, there are no indications it was intentionally set.  

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: An aerial view from above the kitchen shows where the flames punched through the roof.

“It was just an accidental fire,” he said. 

The flames were quickly knocked down after the firefighters’ arrival, and no injuries were reported.