Jan. 6—A Thursday morning fire caused extensive damage to restaurant on Tamarack Road, while smoke and water forced the adjacent businesses to also close.

The fire was reported about 9 a.m. at the strip mall, 1007 Tamarack Road. The roadway was closed for several blocks as fire vehicles, including two ladder trucks and several engines from multiple stations, were called to the scene.

Battalion Chief Steve Leonard of the Owensboro Fire Department said the fire started in the kitchen of El Tucan del Cielo. Leonard said the fire spread from the kitchen into the large single attic over all the businesses in the complex.

The restaurant staff "were coming in an opening up" when the fire broke out, Leonard said. "It did get into the attic to some degree."

Attacking the fire was dangerous, because firefighters couldn't get on the roof, and because of the danger of the interior ceilings collapsing, Leonard said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant, Leonard said. The attic also sustained fire damage. Heavy smoke damage and water damage was spread across the strip mall, Leonard said.

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters remained on scene to check for embers in the attic, Leonard said. Units from Stations 1, 4 and 5 responded to the fire.

The interior of the El Tucan del Cielo was blackened from the fire, with an inch of water covering the floor.

Yuil SotoGarcia, who co-owns the restaurant, said workers were attempting to rescue the intricate wooden furniture from the building before it sustained more water damage.

"It was brought from Mexico," Soto Garcia said of the painted furniture. "It was especially made for us. It was hand-crafted and hand-painted."

Soto Garcia said she was unsure what the restaurant owners would do next. The restaurant has set up a gofundme page, which can be accessed from the restaurant's Facebook page.

"Any help, we appreciate it," Soto Garcia said.

Amrik Jammu, manager of Discount Liquors in the strip mall, said the store is a family business owned by his father. The liquor store is at the far east end of the complex, away from the restaurant, so the damage inside the store was confined to burned and collapsed ceiling tiles and insulation.

"We should be able to reopen by next week" once the ceiling is replaced, Jammu said.

The store's warehouse is adjacent to the store, between the store and the restaurant. Water used fighting the fire caused some boxes of alcohol to become soggy and fall, destroying some products, Jammu said.

But the fire didn't do extensive damage to the store, Jammu said.

"Luckily, no one was hurt," Jammu said.