Employee Critically Burned in Fire During Quinceanera at Pasadena Banquet Hall

An employee at a Pasadena banquet hall suffered critical burns Saturday evening in a fire during a quinceanera.

The fire was reported at 6:20 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Lake Avenue, Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian told City News Service.

The blaze erupted in the kitchen hood in the back of the Imperial Event Venue Banquet Hall.

There were between 100 and 200 people in attendance and they were all safely evacuated, authorities said.

“Unfortunately, an employee sustained critical burn injuries while investigating the initial incident,” Derderian said. He was taken to a local hospital by Pasadena Fire Dept. paramedics.

Police said the victim, a 21-year-old Glendale man, was burned over 80 percent of his body. His condition as of Sunday morning is not known.

Witnesses told KABC-TV the victim fell through the roof and other workers then pulled him from the flames.

No other injuries were reported.

Guests described the frightening scene to KABC-TV news. They had just sat down for dinner when they were alerted.

“The guy, he was talking and was like, ‘There’s a fire in the back and we need to evacuate,'” recalled Delmy Lazy. “I was like, ‘I’m still processing it in my head,’ and I was like, ‘Um, what’s going on?’ So, I was a little confused but it’s a little scary.”

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The banquet hall includes a 4,500 square-foot ballroom and can accommodate up to 400 guests, according to its website.