December 18, 2000

Fire guts Los Tapatios

       An early morning fire Sunday destroyed a popular Mexican restaurant in Greenwood and caused severe damage to adjacent businesses, although no one was injured.  About 50 firefighters braved subzero wind-chills to battle a blaze that apparently began at Los Tapatios restaurant, but the fire had a head start.  “When our first unit arrived, the fire was through the roof,” Greenwood Fire Department Assistant Chief John Wheat said. “It had probably been going a couple hours.”  Wheat said a passer-by reported the fire about 4:36 a.m. at Country Center, an L-shaped strip mall at 1140 N. State Road 135. Although the flames were generally contained to Los Tapatios, adjacent businesses suffered severe water and smoke damage, as well as some structural damage. They include Fena ‘Tailoring, Our House Florist and Kirby of Greenwood, a vacuum cleaner dealership. Los Tapatios had opened at the site in March after moving from U.s. 31 and Smith Valley Road.
“We were doing pretty good,” said owner Norberto Zaragoza of Greenwood, who was surveying the damage Sunday.  With the restaurant’s roof having collapsed, burying the interior in ash and rubble, Zaragoza was not immediately sure if he would reopen at the site.  “Right now I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t looked at the equipment, but I don’t think it’s workable.”  A similar scene was taking place next door at Fena Tailoring, where Gailen Phipps and his wife, Sue Jin Phipps, were helping owner Kim Goode clean up.  “We’re trying to get some of the machines, some of the clothing moved out so it won’t get any more damaged than it already has,” he said.  Josh Nielsen, office manager at Kirby of Greenwood, said roof-mounted air conditioners were about to drop into his rubble-strewn business.  “It’s pretty much a total loss from what it looks like,” he said.  Greenwood firefighters were assisted at the scene by crews from Whiteland, White River Township and Perry Township in Marion County. Crews from Clark Township and New Whiteland were placed on stand-by, Wheat said. The fire broke out on the coldest day of the season so far, a fact that hampered the firefighting effort. Firefighters had to thaw their frozen hoses after returning to the station.  “Once you got an ice layer built up on you, it pretty much insulated you,” Wheat said. But he added, “I’ll be surprised if we come out of it without some frostbite.”  The operators of an adjacent Chinese restaurant, Szechwan Garden, opened their doors to allow the firefighters to warm themselves, Wheat said.  Although the fire appeared to have begun in the Los Tapatios kitchen, the exact cause and damage estimate were not available Sunday.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

     
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