Late evening fire breaks out at downtown Visalia's Sequoia Brewing Company

Fire engines crowded Main Street Wednesday evening in what's becoming a familiar scene in downtown Visalia.

Around 10:15 p.m., Visalia Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire at Sequoia Brewing Company. Within 15 minutes, the fire was fully contained and the damage was minimal. There were no injuries.

Visalia Battalion Chief Tom Van Grouw anticipates the restaurant will be closed for at least a couple of days as fire damage is repaired.

At the time of the fire, the restaurant was closed and only employees were inside. Witnesses on Main Street reported they could smell smoke from the fire but flames were not visible from the outside of the building.

This is the second fire in the heart of downtown Visalia in a month. On May 1, a suspected arson fire damaged several businesses and displaced even more workers at  Alejandra's, Décor to Adore and Jimmy John's.

"It's a much better ending than the previous (downtown) fire," Van Grouw said.

That fire started in a dumpster behind Alejandra's Restaurant, 314 W. Main Street, and spread to the structure's roof.

The May 2022 fire in downtown Visalia was preceded by a December 2018 fire that destroyed Cafe 225 and Mama K's Diner. Also displaced were businesses Pacific Treasures and Gourmet, and Acapulco Jewelers.

The fire was later determined to have started in the attic of Mama K's Diner before spreading to neighboring businesses in the 200 block of Main Street

This is a breaking story. Check back later for more details. 

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Late evening fire breaks out at Visalia's Sequoia Brewing Company