TAMPA, Fla. — Fire crews worked for hours Monday morning to put out a blaze that fully engulfed a Fresh Kitchen restaurant in Tampa.
A picture from Tampa Fire Rescue shows heavy smoke coming from the restaurant on South Howard Avenue, according to an X post. Sky 10 later flew over the area, showing smoke billowing and flames still licking the air hours after the fire began.
According to Tampa Fire Rescue spokesperson Vivian Shedd, calls about the fire came in around 4:45 a.m. A patrolling Tampa police officer spotted it first and called it in.
When the first firefighters arrived, they said they found heavy smoke coming from the roof. At first, crews tried to attack the fire from the inside, but said conditions quickly changed and firefighters needed to abandon that approach.
Crews then began working the fire from outside and above. The single-alarm fire quickly grew into a second-alarm fire, meaning more crews were called to help. Firefighters later confirmed the two-story building was a total loss.
South Howard Avenue was closed in both directions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic between West Southview and Stroud avenues for several hours, but has since reopened.
No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported, officials said.
The loss of the fire came as a shock to nearby resident Olivia Halden, who said she visits the area weekly.
"I was really sad," Halden said. "I think all the locals love it a lot. It's a great place to go."
On social media, Fresh Kitchen stated staff are thankful to its supporters and stated their Westshore location is still available, adding next month would've marked 10 years for its location.
"We’re still wrapping our head and hearts around this, and the center of our focus is making sure our teams feel supported during this difficult time," Fresh Kitchen wrote in part on its social media.
Some neighbors living on Dekle Avenue said they're thankful no one was hurt and are saddened by the loss, but also hope to play an active role with the city in the process of rebuilding.
Neighbors like Jed and Katie Kirby said it's about improving safety.
"We just want our kids to be safe. We want it just to be practical," Jed Kirby said.
The family said they've brought up concerns to the city in the past including the amount of traffic flowing through the one way street, as well as drivers speeding. In addition, they said it's common for visitors to park in front of fire hydrants.
The Kirby family, whose had a child work at Fresh Kitchen, before don't fault the restaurant, but believe concerns raised throughout the years have been ignored.
In a statement, City of Tampa spokesperson Adam Smith wrote: "As we work with Fresh Kitchen to rebuild, we will help them comply with today’s building code. The requirements may be stricter than the restaurant’s prior approvals, depending on how much of the existing structure survives the fire.”