Early Thursday morning, August 22, a fire broke out at Walter’s Restaurant in historic downtown Claremont, prompting the establishment to be marked with a yellow sign.
No one was injured, said Geovanni Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Authorities do not yet know what started the fire, which was reported at 2:33 a.m. Firefighters put it out in less than two hours, Sanchez said.
He was unable to provide an estimate of the extent of the damage.
The city has placed a yellow sign on the restaurant at 310 N. Yale Ave., as well as two nearby businesses. A yellow sign means use of the building is not permitted, but contractors have access to the building, said Bevin Handel, a city spokesman.
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“Walter’s suffered fire damage in the kitchen and smoke and water damage in other parts of the restaurant,” Handel said. “The roof was also damaged by the fire. Two neighboring businesses suffered water and roof damage.”
Nangy Ghafarshad owns Walter’s with his wife Fahima. The two are Afghan immigrants who arrived in 1968. They bought the 20-seat restaurant in 1973 and expanded Walter’s over the years to include adjacent buildings. It seats 400 and employs 90 people.
Walter’s celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Nangy Ghafarshad stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant Thursday afternoon, chatting with a few people. He said it was unclear what happened.
He came down after receiving a call from the police in the early hours of the morning, who he said dispatched six or seven fire engines.
Restaurant staff left the establishment around 9:45 p.m. and there was no one left at the scene, Nangy Ghafarshad said.
The restaurant is so big that there are two kitchens at opposite ends. Only one was damaged. Ghafarshad hopes to reopen part of the restaurant soon with the kitchen undamaged.
“Thank God it didn’t reach the front,” he said of the fire.
There had already been a fire at Walter’s in 1987.
Ghafarshad expects a report from fire inspectors in a week. “They know it was not arson,” he said.
When asked how he was feeling, he smiled. The restaurant is located in the heart of the city’s shopping and restaurant district.
“I feel pretty bad. But that’s because of the experiences I’ve had. I couldn’t sleep. I came here. When I got home, I realized I had received hundreds of calls. How wonderful the people are. That makes me feel good.”
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