LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A fire investigation is underway in Chinatown after the Halal Guys restaurant went up in flames early Friday morning.
Some 80 firefighters responded after a security guard noticed smoke coming from the building, said Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Kenny Holding.
At approximately 5:50 a.m., smoke and flames started filling the air over the restaurant on Spring Mountain Road near Valley View Boulevard. Luckily, says Holding, there is a Clark County fire station a half-block away.
"I think our first arriving crews were here within two minutes," he said.
This video shows the efforts to put out flames consuming The Halal Guys restaurant on Friday morning:
By the time the sun rose, smoke, water and fire had gotten the best of Halal Guys. The restaurant manager tells Channel 13 the damage to this community staple will have a big impact. Firefighters at the scene even mentioned this was a frequent lunch spot for them.
Holding says two neighboring businesses, Krung Siam Thai restaurant and the now-shuttered Starbucks next door, were also damaged. According to a social media post from Krung Siam Thai, the restaurant will experience a temporary closure "due to unforseen circumstances" following the blaze.
"Our crews did a fantastic job keeping the fire from extending into that building," he told Channel 13, "but there is going to be smoke and water damage affecting the other two."
We're told firefighters didn't find any people inside the building. As of this report, the cause of the fire had not been determined.
"I don't want to speculate as to the cause of the fire at this point," Holding said. "We will have our fire investigation team out and conduct an investigation as to the cause of the fire."
Northbound lanes of Valley View Boulevard were closed at Spring Mountain Road throughout much of the firefighting efforts. As of 10 a.m., some lanes had reopened, but two right lanes were still blocked, according to an alert from the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.
On Saturday, Channel 13 spoke with Rann Mojica, the owner of FoneStar Repair: Irepairs Wireless. As a store near the blaze, Mojica shared how Friday's events unfolded for businesses like his.
WATCH | Nearby business owner recalls Friday's fire
"Everyone was just shocked," Mojica said, "Everyone was texting each other early in the morning because we saw a lot of big fire."
After opening his repair shop in 2009, Mojica said he got to know the employees at The Halal Guys, even welcoming them as customers at his store.
"I was kind of a little bit sad that now they're closed, you know? The [employees], what are they gonna do? ... They gonna look for another job, get [transferred]?" Mojica wondered.
