A mother and cancer patient is left devastated after her Mission Viejo restaurant was destroyed in a massive fire.
“I don’t think there’s anything salvageable in there,” said Angelina Esqueda, owner of Green Chile Cantina. “It’s so inundated with smoke. Everything is black — all of the booths, the tables, the floors.”
On Sunday, Jan. 21, just before 7 a.m., firefighters responded to a massive fire engulfing the restaurant on the 23600 block of Via Linda.
The blaze left behind a trail of destruction including burned-out interiors, a collapsed ceiling, major water damage and more.
The total damage was estimated at around $400,000, according to Orange County Fire officials. The restaurant had just celebrated its grand opening in August 2023.
The destructive fire is the latest blow to Esqueda as she had been dealing with a cancer diagnosis shortly before the restaurant opened.
“On Jun. 22, I went to get my nails done and she was massaging my arm and she found a lump,” Esqueda recalled.
At first, doctors believed her lymph nodes were swollen from possibly battling a virus. At the time she was diagnosed, Esqueda’s hands were full with the flurry of preparing her restaurant for its grand opening.
“I assumed it was just stress,” Esqueda said.
After several doctor visits, Esqueda was diagnosed with stage three follicular helper T-cell lymphoma.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Esqueda said. “You just can’t believe you have cancer. It’s just like the shock of the [restaurant] fire. It’s like, ‘Really?’”
In November 2023, Esqueda began chemotherapy treatments.
“The first couple of chemos were really hard on me,” she said. “My immune system was so low. I couldn’t be around a lot of people and I was really sick.”
However, despite everything that has happened, Esqueda is remaining strong for her husband and three children — two of whom will be graduating from high school this year.
She said her only focus will be on getting healthier and fighting to be with her family.
“I want to be free of cancer,” she said tearfully. “I want to focus on my health. My kids are graduating at the end of May and I want to be at their graduation. Then, I want to make it to my 50th birthday in September. Those are my goals.”
As far as the restaurant goes, “This is all replaceable,” Esqueda said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials believe it may have been caused by an electrical issue.
A fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Green Chile Cantina parking lot from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to raise funds for Esqueda’s medical bills.
A GoFundMe page to help the Esqueda Family with bills and to rebuild the restaurant can also be found here.