A Long Beach-based food truck owner has a message to fellow cooks after she has hurt in a burn incident. Karma Dickerson reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.
The niece of legendary Mexican singer Jenni Rivera and local businesswoman, Abigail Rivera, is recovering after a food truck fire burned several parts of her body.
Abigail Rivera is warning the public to take their time when it comes to matters of the kitchen after a rush left her with second-degree burns on her face, eyes and hands. It all started when she lit her food truck’s propane and stove in the wrong order.
“I turned off the knob as soon as I saw the explosion,” Riviera said. “Just my that was the last vision that I had. It's just the whole fire coming in my face”
“So when I saw the fire, I turned it off and then I was still intact. So I was like, ‘Hey Abigail just breathe, you know breathe,’” she said. “My mistake was I was rushing.”
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Rivera launched the “Casa Camarón y Sushi” brand with her husband in their kitchen after they both lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. They celebrated their truck’s grand opening in April. But she’s not new to the food industry, and that came in handy Saturday when she had a face full of flames.
“I've been working in the food industry since I was 16 at Jack in the Box; they always say to use mustard when you get burned. So I literally layered myself in mustard,” she said.
Support from customers and loved ones alike has been pouring in, including from her famous father, Lupillo Rivera -- Mexican singer and brother of the legendary Jenni Rivera.
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“He brought some remedies from Mexico. He did give me some serums, which I'm using right now, and I'm really thankful for that,” Rivera said.
Abigail hopes to have the truck back in business this week at their normal location of 7th Street and Magnolia Avenue in Long Beach. But the fire has taught her to slow down.
“You know, always take your time, especially when it comes to fire. It's safety first one step at a time and I for sure learned this from my experience,” Rivera warns the public after her experience.
