Fire damages a restaurant in midtown Sacramento, officials say. Here’s what we know
A Middle Eastern restaurant, located in Sacramento’s midtown district, was damaged in a fire early Tuesday morning.
The Sacramento Fire Department responded to a reported fire at Kasbah Lounge about 1 a.m.
“This was an accidental fire caused by a stove that was left on inside of the building,” said Capt. Justin Sylvia, a spokesperson for the Fire Department.
While no injuries were reported as a result of this fire, Sylvia said the kitchen had major damage.
“However, our crews made a quick knockdown on the fire and kept it from spreading to other buildings,” Sylvia said. “Residents do not need to avoid the area.”
Kasbah Lounge GoFundMe
Tanya Azar, owner of Kasbah Lounge, and her staff are organizing a GoFundMe to help rebuild the restaurant’s damages resulting from the fire.
Azar, born and raised in Sacramento, spent most of her childhood in her family’s restaurants in both the U.S. and Palestine. By tapping into her international roots, she hoped to bring decades of family recipes — with a modern twist — to Sacramento’s Kasbah Lounge, according to the restaurant’s website.
However, due to the fire, “Kasbah and Tanya are facing their greatest challenge yet,” the fundraiser page states.
“The kitchen and much of the high end culinary equipment it housed has been ruined, the food stores have been destroyed, and the gorgeous front room we are all so enchanted by has been tainted by smoke and water damage,” the fundraiser page states.
To rebuild, the fundraiser is aiming to reach $100,000. As of Monday, only about $6,000 has been raised.
Though the restaurant is temporarily closed, it is scheduled to reopen on Feb. 23, according to Yelp.
This story was originally published January 23, 2024 at 2:48 PM.
