FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — The former site of Jeb’s Blueberry Hill restaurant burned down on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
The call came in around 2 a.m., reporting smoke and flames visible through the roof, and due to the fire’s intensity and the collapse of portions of the roof, the fire department opted to combat the flames from outside the building.
The once-popular restaurant, now reduced to rubble, was a beloved spot in the community before relocating to Clovis due to repeated incidents of vandalism and arson.
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Ruby Gonzalez, the owner of Jeb’s Blueberry Hill, expressed her sorrow over the destruction of her former location.
“It does break my heart to see that happen,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez explained that the decision to move the restaurant was prompted by continuous break-ins and fires.
“The last straw for us was we did have one last attempt at a break-in. and then arson, fire, that was one of the final straws,” she said.
The cause of the current fire is still under investigation.
Josh Sellers, the Fresno Fire Department’s public information officer, noted that previous incidents have been linked to homeless activity in the area.
He said it just takes one ember to spark a bigger fire.
“Anytime you have a fire, there’s a potential that it could grow if it was allowed to burn in an area that there’s combustibles or flammable material around,” Sellers said.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and firefighters successfully protected a nearby tire shop from damage.
The former restaurant is now considered a total loss.