A popular Balboa Peninsula restaurant is working to re-open its doors after a fire closed it down over the weekend.
“Ho Sum Bistro has suffered a serious fire and will be closed until further notice,” owner Ed O’Neill wrote on the restaurant’s website. “Damage to the restaurant was extensive and will take some time to repair. We will be working diligently to get back to business as quickly as possible.”
Firefighters from Newport Beach and nearby cities responded to the blaze at Ho Sum Bistro restaurant at 3112 Balboa Boulevard around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
The first responders noticed heavy black smoke coming from the rear of the building, NBFD officials explain in a press release.
Firefighters forced entry into the restaurant and encountered more thick smoke. Despite poor visibility and high heat, they quickly searched the inside for occupants and extinguished the fire, the statement reads.
One firefighter was treated and released at Hoag Hospital for minor injuries.
The blaze was contained to the restaurant’s kitchen, but the remaining areas sustained heat and smoke damage. The two adjacent buildings were not damaged by fire or smoke.
The fire caused approximately $250,000 worth of damage to the structure and $200,000 in equipment and contents.
Cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Forty-three firefighters from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Fountain Valley fire departments responded.
O’Neill thanked the customers for their patience and support during this difficult time.
“We promise to be back better than ever!” O’Neill wrote.
