Ocean Beach eatery damaged by fire

Firefighters battled a blaze Friday night that tore through the roof of the Ocean Beach restaurant Northside Tavern, authorities said.

The building, formerly the home of Mother’s Saloon, which apparently closed due to the pandemic, was initially described by fire officials as an abandoned commercial structure. But a deputy chief later said the restaurant had been open for takeout, though it was unclear if Northside Tavern was occupied when the flames erupted.

The fire was reported a few minutes before 9:30 p.m. inside the low-slung building on the corner of Bacon and Lotus streets, according to the San Diego Firerescue Department.

“Crews observed heavy smoke coming from the (single-story) building when they arrived,” the Fire-rescue Department said on an incident page.

Deputy Chief Kelly Zombro told Onscene TV it appeared based on preliminary evidence that the flames started in the attic and were primarily contained to the attic and roof area.

Zombro said that while the cause and origin of the blaze remained under investigation, “we have nothing suspicious here; we just have to figure out what happened.”

Just minutes after arriving, the initial crews requested a second wave of firefighters and equipment, according to officials.

According to emergency radio traffic, fire crews had the flames mostly under control by 10:10 p.m. and were searching the building.

On the restaurant’s Facebook page, a message was posted at 10:45 p.m. that read: “Our first concern was the safety of our staff and neighbors. No (one) was injured, the fire has been contained and we are on standby for our next step forward.”

San Diego police tweeted that while fire crews were battling the flames, a man stole a bag from one of the fire engines, making off with more than $1,000 worth of equipment as he rode away on a beach cruiser bicycle.

On Saturday police announced that a suspect had been identified.