Investigators seek answers to what started fire at popular Lawrence, Kansas, restaurant
An overnight fire swept through the building of Cielito Lindo, devastating the popular Mexican restaurant that’s been a fixture of downtown Lawrence, Kansas, for nearly 20 years.
Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, eventually extinguishing it by 7 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.
Crews responded to the fire about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday at 815 New Hampshire Street. The first arriving firefighters entered the building and searched to see if anyone was inside. After confirming the restaurant was empty, firefighters started battling the fire.
Conditions inside the building, however, rapidly deteriorated and fire officials determined that they would need to take a “defensive” strategy and fight the fire from the outside of the building, the fire department said in the release.
Aerial trucks were moved to two sides of the building and streamed water down from above. Meanwhile, firefighters on the ground around the building, including in the alley, manned hoses and sprayed water onto the fire.
Firefighters also checked a neighboring building that shares a wall with Cielito Lindo to see if the fire had spread inside. While the fire hadn’t spread, water from firefighting efforts seeped through the wall.
As fire crews battled the blaze overnight, several streets in downtown Lawrence were closed for the safety of firefighters and so they could run lines of hoses, according to the news release.
One firefighter reported minor injury. No other injuries were reported.
Thursday, fire investigators were trying to determine where the fire originated, as well as its cause.
While fire crews were fighting the blaze, the Overland Park Fire Department provided fire crews and equipment to help cover Lawrence as part of a mutual aid request.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m., a house fire was reported in the 700 block of Illinois Street. Firefighters from both departments responded and quickly extinguished the fire. Four residents, however, were displaced from the home.
