Fire at Lincoln restaurant caused $500,000 in damage, officials say

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A fire at a Lincoln restaurant early Monday morning caused $500,000 in damage, officials say.

Several Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews were sent to a strip mall near First and O Streets around 3:30 a.m.

When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy black smoke coming out of the El Cielito Lindo Mexican Restaurant’s front door, LFR spokeswoman MJ Lierman said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, containing the fire to the restaurant.  But five other stores had smoke damage, according to Lierman.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and no one was injured.

Lierman said the fire caused $250,000 in damage to the building and another $250,000 to the contents.

The owner of El Cielito Lindo, Isis Aparicio, spoke with Channel 8 after the flames were put out.

“It’s overwhelming, and obviously, you know, it’s a lot to take in, just coming in and seeing everything in the state that it is,” she said. “We’re thankful though that it’s just the material stuff, you know. What we lost today is nothing more than that. Like I said, it could have been worse.”

The restaurant has since been reopened.