The Soquel restaurant Michael’s on Foremost is closed indefinitely after a hearth early Thursday.
The hearth was reported by staff of a neighboring enterprise at 4:30 a.m. Nobody was injured within the blaze, authorities mentioned.
“We’re fairly positive it’s unintended, from what we’ve discovered thus far,” mentioned Mike DeMars, hearth marshal for Central Fireplace District of Santa Cruz County. “It did begin within the inside of the constructing, not the outside. There’s no outdoors trigger that we will see.”
The hearth appeared to have originated within the restaurant’s meals preparation and storage space earlier than spreading by means of administrative places of work, into storage above the workplace and onto the roof, in accordance with DeMars.
Whereas the hearth was largely contained to the constructing, he mentioned, a close-by energy line was burned by means of, quickly affecting neighboring companies and houses.
“The eating space, the bar, the out of doors seating space — warmth and smoke injury, however salvageable,” DeMars mentioned, earlier than pointing to the fire-damaged facet. “This a part of the constructing goes to take some work. Clearly, the roof must be changed. I’m unsure in regards to the structural stability again right here.”
The restaurant, close to Freeway 1 and Porter Avenue, was opened in 2001 by Michael Clark and has been owned since 2016 by Michael and Colleen Harrison. Along with the eating room, it serves as a stay music venue.