Mission Local will never have a paywall. All our articles are free for everyone, always. Help us keep it that way — donate to our end-of-year fundraiser to make Mission Local free for your neighbors.
A one-alarm fire broke out at the Lolinda steakhouse in the Mission District just before 10 p.m. on Friday night, and was extinguished by firefighters after some 30 minutes.
The fire at 2518 Mission St. between 21st and 22nd streets started in the ground-floor kitchen at Lolinda, said Assistant Chief Tom Siragusa with the Fire Department.
The fire then traveled up the flue pipe used to carry smoke from the restaurant’s kitchen, reaching the El Techo rooftop bar, Siragusa said. The bar is a spin-off of the Lolinda Argentinian steakhouse.
Firefighters extended a ladder to the top of the five-story building, where smoke poured out into the surrounding blocks. Siragusa said the ground-floor suffered water damage from fire-fighting efforts, but did not know the full extent. The manager of Lolinda declined to comment.
Working fire now at Lolinda Barat 21st and Mission, firefighters on scene, whole street smoky pic.twitter.com/M50p9ZGl2W
— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) August 6, 2016
Mission Street between 21st and 22nd streets filled with smoke and people rushed from the block, coughing. Traffic and buses were re-routed from the block, as police cordoned off the street to both vehicular and foot traffic.
Lolinda restaurant workers stood across the street from their building as firefighters ascended the ladder and watched smoke fill the air. Some would-be patrons walked up and asked if the restaurant was affected, saying they were hoping for dinner.
“We had reservations,” one man said, as water streamed down the street. “Does this mean they’re cancelled?”
Just after 10:30 p.m., Lolinda restaurant workers were allowed back into the restaurant to retrieve their belongings.
Joe was born in Sweden, where half of his family received asylum after fleeing Pinochet, and then spent his early childhood in Chile; he moved to Oakland when he was eight. He attended Stanford University for political science and worked at Mission Local as a reporter after graduating. He then spent time at YIMBY Action and as a partner for the strategic communications firm The Worker Agency. He rejoined Mission Local as an editor in 2023. You can reach him on Signal @jrivanob.99.
More by Joe Rivano Barros
