Investigators Looking For Cause Of Fire At Los Hermanos In Provo
Feb 11, 2019, 8:15 PM | Updated: Feb 12, 2019, 6:23 am
PROVO, Utah – Firefighters responded Monday night to a fire at a popular Mexican restaurant in downtown Provo.
The fire broke out around 7 p.m. in the basement of the Los Hermanos Mexican Restaurant on Center Street. Crews continued fighting the blaze overnight, with firefighters having to spray hot spots nearly every half hour.
Fire crews work outside Los Hermanos in Provo after a fire destroyed the restaurant.
The severity of the fire was not yet determined.
Officials said there was some floor work being done inside the restaurant, so the family business was closed at the time of the fire.
Investigators are looking into what caused the fire, which completely destroyed the restaurant and damaged nearby buildings.
An adjoining four-story apartment had to be evacuated multiple times while crews worked at the scene.
“(There were) 63 apartments we evacuated once,” said Provo City Fire Department Capt. Dean York. “We felt like it was safe for them to go back in and had to pull them out a second time. That’s when we brought in the UTA bus so they at least have a warm place to be.”
Temperatures were extremely cold, making firefighting efforts difficult. The restaurant’s tight quarters in downtown Provo and its old age added to the arduous situation. One firefighter received minor injuries falling on stairs at the restaurant, and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
The fire was under control at about 8:40 p.m., but crews remained on scene to battle flare-ups throughout the night.
Center Street between University Avenue and 100 East remained closed Tuesday morning due to the building’s instability.
An estimate of damages was not available.
