An early Sunday morning fire at a College area restaurant caused about $75,000 damage, according to firefighters.
A passerby noticed smoke and flames coming from Ranchwood BBQ and Catering located at 7229 El Cajon Blvd. at about 6:45 a.m. and called 911, San Diego Fire Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said. It took a joint first alarm response of about 25 firefighters from San Diego and Heartland Fire 20 minutes to put out the fire.
The fire was caused by food being left unattended in the oven. Damage was estimated at $50,000 to the building and $25,000 to the contents.
The restaurant, located about a block west of the La Mesa city limits, remained closed throughout the day. The San Diego County Health Department also responded as it does to all fires involving a restaurant, Amador said.
