Fire Badly Damages Mexican Restaurant in Idaho

Aug. 24--TWIN FALLS -- Twin Falls firefighters are wrapping up their work chasing hot spots in the attic at Garibaldi's Mexican Restaurant.

Firefighters are in the salvage and overhaul phase inside the building, Battalion Chief Brian Cunningham said.

With many layers to the roof, it's a labor-intensive process, he said.

The fire involved about half of the building, but was contained in the attic area, Cunningham said. Firefighters were pulling down ceiling and removing insulation.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and the fire department will investigate with assistance from the Twin Falls Police Department.

Cunningham said he doesn't know the extent of the damage to the restaurant.

After receiving a call from a citizen, firefighters arrived at the scene at 5:45 a.m. They saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the restaurant on Filer Avenue.

Fire crews were able to control the fire in fewer than 10 minutes. However, there was some fire and smoke damage to the building.

Restaurant owner Jose Perez stood in the parking lot this morning outside the restaurant with a group of about six friends.

His friends arrived to eat at Garibaldi's, only to find firefighters on the scene.

Perez said he received a phone call about the fire at 6 a.m. He said a neighbor told him that lightning was seen in the area around the time the fire started.

As he watched firefighters from a distance, Perez said he didn't know what was going on inside the building, but thought there was likely extensive damage. A side door was open as firefighters could be spotted inside.

An insurance representative will arrive this afternoon to assess the damage, Perez said. Depending on how that goes, the restaurant may be closed for three to four weeks, he said.

The restaurant remains closed and there haven't been any injuries reported.

Police officers blocked off Filer Avenue between Fillmore and Polk streets for about an hour this morning.

Copyright 2013 - The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho