(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A structure fire in downtown Colorado Springs prompted the evacuation of seven businesses and left a trail of destruction in its wake. Among the businesses affected, the Taste of Jerusalem Cafe, a restaurant that has been in the community for over a decade, seemingly suffered the most significant damage.
“I got a call around 10:00 a.m. that smoke was coming out of my building,” said Abdul Nasser, the owner of Taste of Jerusalem Cafe.
Colorado Springs Fire Department swiftly responded to reports of the fire on Bijou Street between Tejon and Cascade at around 10:00 AM on Monday. CSFD reports smoke coming from the alleyway that corners Taste of Jerusalem Cafe.
Witnesses, including Josh Roy, the owner of a realtor group situated on the top floor above a Local Honey boutique, described the experience of seeing black smoke infiltrating his office during a team meeting.
“I yelled over at my partner, Sean… We better get out of here,” Roy exclaimed.
The fire prompted a three-alarm response, engaging 65 out of 127 CSFD personnel, taking them over an hour to contain the blaze.
The building’s structure posed challenges for the firefighters, “The way that these buildings are built, there are some voids in between the floor. So if you imagine the ceiling to floor, the baseboard is the floor to the fire was kind of in between those. So it’s going to travel,” Ashley Franco, the CSFD public information officer, explained why so many personnel were dispatched to the scene.
While many of the businesses were not open yet at the time, evacuation measures were enacted swiftly, ensuring the safety of any occupants within the seven affected businesses, including the hotel at the end of the block.
CSFD reports indicate substantial smoke damage to six of the businesses on the block. Emily Ross, co-owner of Yobel, a boutique among the affected establishments, expressed concerns about potential inventory losses.
“I might be in a little bit of denial right now… if all the clothing and everything is damaged, we’ll pretty much need a new shop, a new full set of inventory,” said Ross.
However, the most heart-wrenching scenes emerged from the Taste of Jerusalem Cafe, where firefighters toiled for hours taking destroyed items out of the restaurant. Nasser watched as the pile of charred objects from their kitchen and eating area grew higher.
Nasser’s wife captured a video of the aftermath, showing their kitchen, completely black. She said she started sobbing as soon as she drove up and saw the firefighters surrounding the restaurant they’ve owned for the past 15 years.
“It’s very frustrating… to see your business, just within hours… gone. We’re just trying to hold on… Just pray for us,” said Nasser, largely in a state of shock, expressing the raw emotions of the devastation, grappling with the sudden and profound loss.
The block on Bijou Street between Tejon and Cascade re-opened around 2:00 p.m. CSFD says they are now investigating the cause of the fire.
FOX21 will continue to update with information as it is made available to us.
