An early-morning fire in a commercial center destroyed the Yoshinoya fast food location at the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway on Wednesday morning.
L.A. County firefighters were dispatched to strip mall in response to a report of a structure fire at 3:44 a.m. and upon arrival they found smoke and fire coming from the roof of the Yoshinoya building, according to Battalion Chief Travis Wilson.
“The fire was completely involved in the structure, which resulted in a total loss of the structure,” he said.
A resident in the apartments next to the shopping center, who did not provide his name, said he had heard a booming sound in the early morning but did not suspect anything about it.
He said it wasn’t until he walked over in the morning that he saw that the Yoshinoya had been completely burned down, and the roof had collapsed in on itself.
David Chung, the owner of the Yoshinoya, said he had been a part of the community since 2013 and was at a loss for words about losing his restaurant.
He said he couldn’t imagine how the fire started because he usually shuts off the gas and electricity to his restaurant at night.
Wilson added that firefighters were able to save the adjacent businesses, but they would remain closed for the day.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and no injuries were reported from the scene.
At approximately 10 a.m., heavy demolition crews were on the scene tearing down the Yoshinoya and piling the debris together.
The owners of Yoshinoya created a GoFundMe to help the business recover from the incident.
Sophie Chung, the organizer of the GoFundMe, wrote in the description that by around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, the family learned that the fire had done irreversible damage to the building, and it would have to be demolished.
She wrote, “Our family watched in disbelief as the restaurant that has kept our family afloat and served this community for over a decade was torn apart in front of our eyes.
We’re unsure of how things will progress and how soon Yoshinoya will be able to return. If you are able and willing, we would appreciate any support and prayers you can give as we assess damages and figure out how to rebuild.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, $1,550 has been raised out of the $6,500 goal.
The GoFundMe can be found at tinyurl.com/ye8na62v.
