by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Walter’s Restaurant, the iconic Claremont eatery that celebrated its 50^th anniversary last November, caught fire early Thursday morning.

“Extensive damage, we will be closed until further notice,” wrote Laila A. Ghafarshad, daughter-in-law to owners Nangy and Fahima Gharfarshad, on the Claremont Connects Facebook page, adding the fire had burned through the roof at the 310 N. Yale Ave. location.

No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, which began shortly prior to 2:33 a.m., according to fire officials.

“There was minimal fire inside the restaurant,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Station 101 Captain Daniel Trevizo. “A majority of the fire was coming from the roof. Our truck company did a tremendous job by going on the roof and isolating the fire to what seems to be an air conditioning unit that may have malfunctioned.”

Trevizo estimated the cost to repair the damage will be in excess of $500,000.

Fire crews atop the Claremont Professional Building at the corner of Bonita and Yale avenues early Thursday morning after a fire damaged Walter’s Restaurant and some surrounding businesses. Courier photo/Tom Smith

The fire was confined mostly to the roof on the northern end of the Claremont Professional Building, a cohort of businesses at the corner of Bonita and Yale avenues. Fire crews cut a hole in the roof in order to “check for extension and that entails making sure that these businesses don’t share a common attic,” Trevizo said. “Often times you get electrical fires that start in one business and can run the entire span of the entire strip mall.”

Fire personnel reported heavy smoke coming from the roof when they arrived shortly after receiving the 2:33 a.m. fire notification text. Crews from stations 286, 64 and 186 also responded.

“In the text, it was noted that Claremont PD arrived first for a burglary alarm activation,” Trevizo said. “When a police unit arrived on scene, he had noticed smoke coming from the building.” Trevizo said it’s possible that wiring was affected or smoke moving through the bank triggered a motion alarm.

The smell of smoke and singed metal remained in the air at 9 a.m.

It’s unclear whether electrical issues, which caused Walter’s to close on Tuesday, played a role in the blaze, Trevizo said. “It’s currently under investigation,” he said. It “could possibly be electrical or some kind of a machinery failure. But that’s for the investigators to determine.”

All businesses within the Claremont Professional Building plaza have been yellow tagged by fire crews, “which means that occupants can go inside, secure belongings, but they cannot open until they have been cleared by building and safety,” Trevizo said.

Jaime Ferguson, a server at Walter’s, said she was “heartbroken” seeing the state of the restaurant, especially after she had just painted the restrooms.

Debbie Escobedo, president and CEO of Balboa Thrift and Loan, the business next door to Walter’s, was on hand Thursday morning as fire crews were mopping up. Escobedo said she was uncertain about extent of the damage to her business. Trevizo said the business suffered extensive water damage, but very minimal fire damage. He also said the northern dining area of Walter’s was untouched by the blaze.

A 35-seat coffee shop when the Gharfarshads purchased the building in 1973, Walter’s has grown to include a greatly expanded restaurant, a bar, lounge, and an event space, with a capacity of 500.

Walter’s had another fire in 1987 that nearly destroyed the restaurant.