At 11 p.m. on Saturday night, owner of Tio Dan's Puffy Tacos Dan Balderas received a call notifying him that his restaurant was on fire. After he arrived at Tio Dan's, Balderas saw the fire department had the fire under control, but there would still be damage to deal with in the coming weeks, he said.

Balderas said the fire department investigated the scene until 2 a.m. and told him they didn't think the fire was arson. Balderas speculated that the fire could have been started from wires in the rear of the restaurant that were not up to current code.

The department is still investigating and assessing damage from the fire.

Damage was sustained in the roof and at the back of the building, but it will still be some time before the restaurant is back up and running. Because Balderas only rents the space, he said the owners of the building will have to make the improvements before Tio Dan's can reopen.



Balderas said he is working with his insurance provider to find out a solution to the damage sustained in the fire. He said while the roof did not collapse, it will likely need to be replaced entirely.

"The worst part is that my employees woke up [Sunday] and don't have a job," he said.

Balderas is encouraging loyal diners to go to his other restaurants—Little Red Wagon Hamburgers and Pacific Gulf Sea Island Fish Fry and Hot Wings.

Editor's note: The article was updated for clarity.