Fire heavily damages landmark Chinese eatery

By Leslie M. Hernandez Killeen Daily Herald

The Taiwan Dragon, a restaurant many consider to be a landmark in Killeen,
was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday.

Killeen Fire Department investigator James Chism said the first 911 call
came in about 9 a.m. when the owners arrived to begin their day.

"Witnesses told us they saw a gentleman run out of the building waving his
arms and yelling the building was on fire," Chism said.

Killeen Fire Chief Henry Young said the firefighters arrived on the scene
five minutes after the first call and quickly called for a general alarm,
which summoned three engine companies and 28 firefighters to the scene.

"As far as we know, no one was in the building and none of the firefighters
were injured," Young said.

Young described the fire as very intense.

"The fire had a head start on us. Flames were 15 to 20 feet high," Young said.
"Firefighters first tried to attack the fire from the front of the building but
they couldn't stay inside because the heat was just too much."

The heat, Young said, caused what sounded like an explosion from the back of
the building.

"What happened was the extreme heat vented itself through a small hole in the
roof," Young said. "It made an impressive sound but it wasn't an explosion."

One of the owners of the restaurant, Jackson Huang, said one of his brothers
who also owns the Taiwan Dragon sounded the alarm.

"When he came to work he saw all the smoke and fire inside and he called 911,"
Huang said. "In the 22 years we have been here, we have never had a fire."

Huang said 22 years of local history were lost with the destruction of dozens
of photographs of prominent U.S. Army dignitaries from former III Corps Commander
Gen. B.B. Bell to former Sergeant Major of the Army Jack Tilley.

Deputy City Manager David Hall said it was sad to lose a piece of the city's
history.

"Everyone from the city and Fort Hood has been to Huang's," Hall said.
"Going to Huang's is a tradition. We hope they will be able to rebound."

Hall said a prized collection of military coins given to Huang by visiting
military officials was saved.

Chism said the cause of the fire would not be determined for several days.

"It will all depend on when we can get in there, but I'm sure it will be a few days,"
Chism said.