Pieloon damaged in fire

DOWNEY - Pieloon Restaurant, located at 10822 Lakewood Blvd., has been closed indefinitely after a small attic fire, sparked by faulty electrical wiring, scorched portions of the landmark eatery last Saturday night.According to Capt. Lonnie Croom of the Downey Fire Department, first responders were notified shortly before midnight on Nov. 6 about the blaze, which singed decorative eaves on the northwest side of the building. "Our investigators proved that it was electrical in nature," Croom said. "It was an attic fire caused by some old wiring for florescent lighting in the eaves - but it was easily extinguished." Saul Haro, owner of Pieloon Restaurant, praised the fire department for doing its best to save the structure. "I was at home when my neighbors called me and told me about the fire," said Haro. "I rushed over here…once the fire department arrived they did an excellent job trying to put it out." Haro said despite the apparent damage outside on the roof, the fire caused little damage to the restaurant's interior. "The inside is practically intact - there was minor damage," he said over the phone. "We just don't know at this point, but it shouldn't take long to make repairs." Haro, forced to turn away customers the last several days, believes the fire may have resulted from moisture in the roof that caused aging wiring to ignite. With the holidays soon approaching, Haro said his biggest concern was his staff of nearly 20 employees who depend heavily on their employment at the restaurant. "It's hard for me to see them lose out," he said. "But we're here to stay - we'll be back as soon as we can get this up and running. It shouldn't take long…we're just looking forward to seeing our customers again."

********** Published: November 11, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 30