Fire destroys vacant restaurant building in Yermo

YERMO — A vacant restaurant on the side of Interstate 15 burned in Yermo on Friday night.

The former International Cafe building on Calico Road was destroyed by a suspicious fire of undetermined cause, said Yermo Fire Department Capt. Joseph Coats.

Yermo firefighters got the call at about 8 p.m.

“By the time we got here, it was fully involved, with power going to it,” Coats said.

Firefighters were not immediately able to approach the building because of the danger from live wires. A Marine Corps Logistics Base crew arrived with its high-capacity water jet mounted on the fire truck. The firefighting efforts were also hampered by the fact that two of the fire hydrants on Grand View Drive were out of service, Coats said.

Crews from Yermo, Newberry Springs, Daggett, Fort Irwin, and the MCLB assisted in fighting the fire, which took about 45 minutes to contain, Coats said. Firefighters expected to remain on scene for several hours, however.

Deputy Mike Cadwell from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said witnesses reported seeing a vehicle parked up against the building, which had been vacant for about five years, shortly before the fire started. The county arson and bomb detail is investigating the cause of the blaze.

Although the building was a total loss, Cadwell and Coats said it was fortunate that the fire was contained to the old restaurant.
“With the wind picking up and blowing embers towards the houses, that was our biggest worry,” Coats said.

To report information relating to the cause of the fire, call the Barstow sheriff’s station at 760-256-4838. To remain anonymous, call WE-TIP at 1-800-78-CRIME or leave information on the WeTip Web site at www.wetip.com.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or abby_sewell@link.freedom.com