SHAFTER, Calif.
--
A firefighter was injured while fighting a fire at a restaurant in Shafter.
The Kern County Fire Department said that about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, a call was received regarding a fire in the 300 block of Central Avenue at the La Fonda restaurant.
Crews said they saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building.
The owner arrived on scene as soon as he found out about the fire and he was shocked. "When I first got here last night it looked like a scene from a movie. There were firefighter trucks, people watching and smoke everywhere," said restaurant owner Marcelino Zerangua.
Eight employees will now be out of a job for the next three months, until things are back up and running.
Firefighters called for a second alarm, which brought crews from Wasco, Buttonwillow and Bakersfield to assist.
No one was at the business at the time of the fire which is believed to have started in the kitchen area, public information officer Sean Collins said.
Collins said a firefighter sustained minor injuries after falling about 9 feet into the basement. He was transported to a local area hospital as a precaution. He was released early this morning.
The restaurant is shut down for now, but the owner keeps a positive outlook.
"This was just an accident. We will rebuild and start over for us and our clients," said Zerangua.
The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
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