A man died when a home caught fire late Monday night in Capitola Village.
Central Fire crews responded to the two-alarm fire at 9:50pm at 204 Monterey Ave. to flames lashing out the side of a building from the first and second floors of a large apartment complex at 240 Monterey Ave.
Battalion Chief Jack Kokot said flames also spread into the second floor of a nearby commercial building that houses Mijo’s Taqueria and Giesha Sushi restaurants. Kokot said there were multiple people calling about the incident.
“Crews initiated a fire attack and they made entry into the structure where they located a male victim and pulled him out,” Kokot said. “Despite life-saving measures, he was transported but ultimately perished.”
He added that a second person suffered smoke inhalation, who was evaluated but was not taken to the hospital.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was treated and released at the scene.
The fire was contained in about one hour, with crews remaining on scene for about five hours.
A total of 21 firefighters from five agencies responded, along with three ground ambulances and a medical supervisor.
Santa Cruz City Fire, Watsonville Fire Department, Scotts Valley Fire, Cal FIre, Felton Fire, American Medical Response, Capitola Police Department and PG&E all responded.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Mijo’s and Giesha Sushi restaurants were red-tagged due to smoke and water damage, and it was not clear how long they would remain closed.
