Kitchen fire damages Solana Beach restaurant, prompts evacuations

A kitchen fire damaged a North County restaurant early Wednesday, Nov. 27, before firefighters were able to put out the flames.

The fire at the Pamplemousse Grille restaurant off Via de la Valle was reported shortly before 10:45 a.m. and prompted the three-story building that houses the bottom-floor restaurant to be evacuated, said San Diego County sheriff’s Lt. William Amavisca.

The fire started in the oven and spread beyond the containment hood, said Battalion Chief Mike Spaulding of the Encinitas Fire Department, which handles management duties for Solana Beach Fire Department.

The flames ran up the duct piping to the roof, he said. Crews on the roof sprayed water down the piping. He said there were no injuries in the fire, as well as no structural damage to the building or to the second and third floors.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Ford said about 40 firefighters responded to the scene.

Spaulding said the restaurant will be closed until health department officials give it the all-clear to open. Ford said the spot could reopen next week.

Ford told NBC 7 San Diego that the fire started in the kitchen and extended a little into the restaurant. “I was worried, and you know, it’s the beginning of Thanksgiving weekend for many people, so you hate to see something like this happen. And my family and I love Pamplemousse, we come here a lot for special occasions,” he told the station.

— Karen Kucher is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune