A second fire in two days at a Long Beach restaurant left a firefighter with minor injuries.
The first of two fires at Hof's Hut Restaurant & Bakery occurred at about 9 p.m. Sunday. Customers and employees were in the restaurant at 4251 Long Beach Blvd., but no injuries were reported.
The fire was contained to the grill area and knocked down at about 9:30 p.m. The fire likely spread due to grease in the cooking area, according to fire officials.
Firefighters returned to the restaurant at 1 a.m. after a report of a second fire. That fire, knocked down at 2:45 a.m., resulted in minor injuries to a firefighter and extensive damage to the building, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
"We are devastated by the fire and loss of our Long Beach (Boulevard) restaurant," said a statement from the group that owns Hof's Hut. "Thank you to our employees for their quick reaction and ensuring that our guests were guided to safety."
Arson investigators responded to the location. The cause of the second fire remained under investigation Monday morning.
The Southern California family restaurant chain has operated in the region since 1951. Jeff Beasley, owner of Bundts on Melrose, was driving by when he noticed the damage.
"It's my go-to spot," said Beasley. "I didn't know what was going on."
