by Andrew Alonzo | [email protected]
Walter’s Restaurant, the iconic restaurant in Claremont that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.th anniversary last November, caught fire early Thursday morning.
“Due to the significant damage, we will remain closed until further notice,” Laila A. Ghafarshad, daughter-in-law of owners Nangy and Fahima Gharfarshad, wrote on the Claremont Connects Facebook page, adding that the fire burned through the roof at the 310 N. Yale Ave. location.
According to the fire department, no injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out shortly before 2:33 a.m.
“There was minimal fire in the restaurant,” said Captain Daniel Trevizo of Los Angeles Fire Department Station 101. “The majority of the fire came from the roof. Our truck company did a great job of getting up on the roof and containing the fire to an air conditioning unit that may not have been working properly.”
Trevizo estimated that repair costs will exceed $500,000.
Firefighters on the roof of the Claremont Professional Building at the corner of Bonita and Yale avenues early Thursday morning after a fire damaged Walter’s Restaurant and some surrounding businesses. Courier photo/Tom Smith
The fire was mostly contained to the roof at the north end of the Claremont Professional Building, a group of businesses at the corner of Bonita and Yale avenues. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to “check for spread and make sure these businesses don’t share a common attic,” Trevizo said. “Often you get electrical fires that start in one business and can spread to the entire mall space.”
When the firefighters arrived shortly after receiving the text message with the fire report at 2:33 a.m., they reported heavy smoke coming from the roof. The emergency services from stations 286, 64 and 186 were also on site.
“The text noted that Claremont police first arrived on a burglar alarm,” Trevizo said. “When a police unit arrived on scene, they noticed smoke coming from the building.” Trevizo said it’s possible that wiring was damaged or that smoke moving through the bank triggered a motion alarm.
The smell of smoke and scorched metal was still in the air at 9 a.m.
It’s unclear whether electrical problems that led to Walter’s closing Tuesday played a role in the fire, Trevizo said. “That’s under investigation right now,” he said. “It could be an electrical or a machine failure. But that’s for investigators to determine.”
All businesses in the Claremont Professional Building plaza have been marked with yellow tags by the fire department, “meaning users can go in and move their belongings to safety, but they are not allowed to open until they have been cleared by the building and safety authority,” Trevizo said.
Jaime Ferguson, a waitress at Walter’s, said the sight of the restaurant breaks her heart, especially after she had just finished painting the restrooms.
Debbie Escobedo, president and CEO of Balboa Thrift and Loan, the store next door to Walter’s, was on site Thursday morning as firefighters conducted cleanup efforts. Escobedo said she was unclear about the extent of the damage to her store. Trevizo said the store sustained significant water damage but very minimal fire damage. He also said the north dining area of Walter’s was spared from the fire.
When the Gharfarshads bought the building in 1973, Walter’s was a 35-seat cafe. It now includes a greatly expanded restaurant, bar, lounge and function room with a capacity of 500 people.
In 1987, another fire occurred at Walter’s, which almost destroyed the restaurant.
