An electric vehicle crashed into a nail salon and caught fire as nearby firefighters diverted from another assignment to help.
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. — An off-duty Orange County Fire Authority captain rushed into a burning nail salon Wednesday after an electric vehicle crashed into the Mission Viejo business and caught fire, helping clear the building before arriving crews brought the flames under control.
Firefighters were dispatched about 11:42 a.m. Nov. 4 to the 24000 block of Alicia Parkway, where the vehicle had struck the salon in a shopping center. Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Chris Chang was off duty and nearby when the crash occurred. The fire authority said Chang ran into the salon to make sure everyone had gotten out.
The emergency response quickly expanded when two members of Engine 12, who were in the area on an unrelated assignment, heard the fire dispatch. The crew diverted to the shopping center and arrived at the scene, where they joined Chang in establishing a water supply and stretching multiple hose lines toward the burning vehicle and storefront.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the combined response allowed crews to knock down the fire before it spread through the rest of the building. Department video showed flames and thick black smoke rising from the crash area as firefighters arrived and began directing water onto the fire. The footage later showed a heavily damaged vehicle and scorched storefront.
Chang later described nearby bystanders using fire extinguishers against the initial flames and helping get the driver away from the vehicle. He then turned his attention to the salon and its occupants. Chang was off duty and did not have the protective equipment and breathing apparatus that firefighters normally use while working inside a burning structure.
The driver was taken to a hospital after the crash, according to local reporting. No other injuries were reported. Authorities had not released the driver’s condition as of Friday, and the circumstances that caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and strike the business remained unclear.
The incident highlighted how several separate responses converged within minutes. Chang happened to be close enough to witness the emergency, while the Engine 12 crew was already traveling nearby when the dispatch came over the radio. Their response gave firefighters an early opportunity to attack the flames before they could move farther into the shopping center.
Officials have not announced what caused the crash or what caused the electric vehicle to ignite after striking the salon. No additional injuries or further spread of the fire had been reported, and authorities had not released additional information about the driver’s medical condition.
Author note: Last updated November 6, 2026.