Firefighters are battling a two-alarm fire tonight (Nov. 10) at 3877 El Camino Real, the onetime Compadres Mexican Bar and Grill.
El Camino is closed in both directions between Curtner and Ventura avenues because of the fire.
The fire was concentrated in the center of the building and the roof, firefighters said tonight via Twitter.
No injuries have been reported.
The restaurant has been closed since 2008. In September 2017, a plan was approved to build on that parcel a mixed-use project including a three-story commercial building, condominiums and town houses. Those structures have not yet been built.
In the meantime, squatters have been found inside the old restaurant.
In February 2016, the Post reported that police found three people inside the building. Police called the owner, who didn’t want to file charges against anyone. But the owner did call in crews to board up a portion of the building.
At that time, Sgt. David Lee told the Post that he thought people had been staying in the building for awhile.
Wonder if it was started by those homeless people who have been camping there?
This ought to make traffic slow for those leaving the Stanford game tonight. Given the lopsided score (48-17 in favor of Stanford), I’ll bet some people are leaving right now in the fourth quarter and encountering the closure.