A devastating three-alarm fire gutted a popular Long Beach restaurant early Tuesday morning, just weeks before it was scheduled to reopen after being forced to close last year due to flooding.
The fire broke out before 5:15 a.m. at Dogz Bar and Grill, which is part of a strip mall located in the 5300 block of East 2nd Street.
According to the Long Beach Fire Department, crews arrived on scene to find heavy flames coming from the building, which was boarded up. The fire was quickly upgraded to three-alarms.
The bulk of the fire was knocked down by 6:46 a.m., but not before causing heavy damage to the restaurant, LBFD said.