Fire torches Oakland's Horn Barbecue restaurant just 2 days after being tagged with graffiti
Popular West Oakland restaurant Horn Barbecue was significantly damaged in a fire Tuesday morning, just two days after being defaced with graffiti, authorities said.
The Oakland Fire Department said it responded at about 4:19 a.m. to the fire at the restaurant located on the 2500 block of Mandela Parkway. The fire began in the rear of the restaurant and firefighters arrived to find smoke coming out of the attic, according to a department spokesman.
There was no immediate word on what caused the fire.
"We are working with the owner and staff to determine if any irregularities exist at the scene and will work to obtain any surveillance footage that may clarify what may have caused this fire," said Fire Department spokesman Michael Hunt.
The fire was put out by 4:46 a.m., the department said. A view above the restaurant showed the building with fire damage to the rear of the one-story building. The fire department said the damage was enough to have the building red-tagged, prohibiting any entry.
On Monday, chef and owner of the nationally recognized restaurant Matt Horn posted on Instagram news of graffiti left on the building the night before, adding that the vandals also tried unsuccessfully to break into the restaurant's food trailer.
In the post's caption, Horn appealed to fellow small business owners who have been affected by crime to unite to support each other, calling the vandals "nothing more than the filth that plagues our beautiful city."
"Your actions are a pathetic display of disrespect and ignorance, attacking not just our business but the very fabric of our community in which you inhabit," Horn said in his post. "You represent the worst of us, but let me make this clear to you, you will not define us. We stand firmer, more united, and more determined in the face of your senseless vandalism."
