Firefighters prevented a nearby commercial structure fire from spreading to the adjacent Cross Eyed Cow Pizza restaurant on Old Route 66 in Oro Grande.
The structure fire was reported at 1:03 a.m. on Saturday in the 19200 block of National Trails Highway, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
The first-arriving engine company reported that a boarded-up commercial building was fully involved in fire adjacent to the iconic pizza eatery.
The burning structure had previously sustained fire damage, creating additional challenges for responding crews, fire officials stated.
Firefighters prioritized protecting nearby property, including the adjacent pizza restaurant that was threatened by intense radiant heat, authorities said.
The heat generated by the fire was so significant that smoke was observed coming from the exterior of the neighboring building, according to the fire department.
Through coordinated firefighting efforts, crews successfully prevented the fire from extending to surrounding structures.
Firefighters were able to knock down the bulk of the fire in about 35 minutes without any reported damage to nearby businesses.
Due to significant structural compromise, including a roof collapse and unstable flooring that had fallen into a subfloor area, firefighters utilized an aerial master stream from a ladder truck to safely extinguish remaining fire within the structure.
Assistance was provided by the Apple Valley Fire Protection District, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Southwest Gas and Southern California Edison.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the San Bernardino County Fire Marshal.
A grateful Cross Eyed Cow
Cross Eye Cow employees took to Facebook on Saturday to say that “Sometimes the hottest thing on Route 66 should be the pizza… not the building next door.”
They added that they are open for business and that everyone at the restaurant is safe after last night’s nearby fire.
“Huge thank you to the amazing firefighters and first responders who worked through the night to protect our community and businesses,” the Cross Eyed Cow said. “Your bravery does not go unnoticed.”
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Cross Eyed Cow Pizza still standing after adjacent fire in Oro Grande
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
