Fire Burns Cardenas Tortilleria

When a fire erupted in the tortilleria of Cardenas Market on Sunnymead and Perris boulevards last Friday evening, Aug. 16, it was the last thing anyone—guests or employees—expected. None were injured or displaced as a result of the blaze, isolated to the tortilleria’s kitchen. Crews from CAL FIRE, the Riverside City Fire Department, Riverside County Fire Department, the Riverside and Moreno Valley Police Departments, and one AMR ambulance responded to the incident when it broke out about 6:39 that evening, and were able to officially contain the fire by 7:09 p.m., according to reports from the Riverside County Fire Department. Having been in business for over a decade at that location—the store is No. 8 of the chain’s 29—there has been no incident like this one before. Cardenas Markets Public Affairs Director Marco Robles said the incident was regrettable. “It’s unfortunate that the incident happened and that’s why we are so thankful that no one was injured,” he said. “Several hundred customers were in the store and they were safely evacuated.” While the exact cause of the fire and cost of damages are still under investigation, the tortilleria is a vital part of store operations, creating and selling over 20 different products including masa, chips, tortillas and tostadas, to name a few. The tortilleria section of the location was closed for a short time after the incident, but has since been reopened. Immediately following the fire, firefighters remained on scene for approximately two hours for overhaul and clean up, but Cardenas Markets employees have been dealing with the aftermath through the week. Store officials anticipated having the tortilleria open by Tuesday, Aug. 20, but with continuing clean-up efforts, the goal has been pushed to sometime later this week. “I know our maintenance staff has been out there from day one and is out there working diligently,” said Robles. The store itself serves several hundred customers each week, many of whom patronize the tortilleria section of the market. “It’s an important store to the community, one that people rely on. We apologize for the inconvenience and are very thankful the building was successfully evacuated,” Robles said.