A small fire broke out earlier this week and destroyed an electrical panel behind the Tres Pinos Road shopping center that includes Subway and Haircut 5.
The fire started around 10 p.m. Monday in a room containing the electrical panel behind those shops on Tres Pinos Road. The panel, which services the parking lot and monument sign, was destroyed. But the fire did not appear to affect the nearby businesses other than some smoke damage, Fire Chief Fred Cheshire said.
“We were out there for a while because there was smoke throughout the whole building,” Cheshire said.
As for the cause, Cheshire said it started inside the panel and that it was “some sort of arc.”
“We worked with them (building management) and they worked with us and PG&E to try to get an electrician out there as soon as we could so none of the businesses would be affected,” the chief said.
Sal Valentino, owner of Haircut 5, which is marking its 25th anniversary Friday, said the business was fortunate to sustain smoke damage only.
He said a cleaning crew in the building at the time Monday night initially noticed the fire.
“We got some smoke damage,” he said. “Other than that, we were very lucky.”
Valentino went on: “I was telling somebody – they’re trying to burn me out after 25 years.”
