After a 4-alarm fire in Arlington on Monday night, several damaged businesses are picking up the pieces.
The fire destroyed Beirut Grill, where it was first spotted.
“Our world changed in a way we never imagined,” reads a GoFundMe page from the restaurant. “The fire has taken away our ability to operate, and the costs of repairs, equipment, cleanup, and getting back on our feet are overwhelming.”
Almost 100 firefighters battled the fire on one of the hottest days recorded this year. The temperature reached 106 degrees Monday evening, readings at DFW International Airport showed.
No civilians were reportedly injured and the cause of the fire remains unclear. The fire was reported at Beirut Grill at 2410 West Abram St. around 5:30 p.m. and brought under control two hours later.
Of the six units in the one-story building, three were heavily damaged, while three had heavy smoke damage, The Dallas Morning News previously reported.
Beirut Grill has been serving Mediterranean food in Arlington for over a decade. Its fundraising campaign has a $500,000 goal and has received over $5,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Other businesses in the building include Smash Toast, Folklore Grove Bookstore, the Pilates Effect and Derma Spa Laser Clinic. The News reached out to all of the businesses but have not received comment as of Wednesday afternoon.
Folklore Grove is a bookstore inside Smash Toast, a sandwich shop. Both were destroyed by the fire.
“Our worst nightmare,” Bobby King and Kait Thibeaux, the respective owners of Smash Toast and Folklore Grove said on Instagram Tuesday. “We literally watched our dreams burn to the ground.”
Longtime friends and graduates from Arlington’s Martin High School, King and Thibeaux partnered up for business about a year ago.