No injuries but moderate damage were reported following a Monday evening fire at the Lost Roo restaurant, 1700 Pacific Ave. S. in Long Beach.
The fire, reported around 6:30 p.m., generated a quick response from several local fire departments including Ilwaco, Long Beach and Ocean Park.
Damage to the business, closed at the time of the fire, was mainly confined to the back kitchen area. It was initially suspected that it started in a clothing dryer, which was loaded with towels.
The charred, front-loading dryer was removed out the backdoor by firemen along with armloads of scorched linens.
Lost Roo owners Tania and Travis Miller were nearby and responded to the scene along with a growing gathering of curious onlookers.
“Nobody really knows what happened; we were actually closed today,” Tania said. “I would assume some sort of electrical issue. Travis and I were sitting at The Depot having dinner for Mother’s Day and our alarm company called and said there was smoke and that our sprinkler system had been deployed. It appears the fire started with the dryer but we’re not really sure yet.”
Tania, who has owned the business four years, said some employees were working in the morning but the business had been closed to customers for the day.
Tania praised the fast response from local fire departments and the effectiveness of the sprinkler system.
“This is a first, but the fortunate part is that sprinkler system did what it’s supposed to do. It went off right where the fire was at and put it out,” she said. “The damage is very minimal in regard to what potentially could have happened — it’s fixable.”
The business will be closed in the coming days for repairs. The official cause of the fire remains under investigation. The call-out lasted about an hour.
