Fire ravages Dogz Bar and Grill in Belmont Shore weeks before it was to reopen

June 12--A fire ripped through Dogz Bar and Grill on Second Street in Belmont Shore early Tuesday, gutting the restaurant weeks before it was slated to reopen.

Firefighters responded at 5:19 a.m. for a "well-involved" blaze that was consuming the building's roof, said Long Beach Fire Department Assistant Chief Matt Gruneisen.

Smoke filled the Belmont Shore neighborhood as firefighters battled the blaze, which took about 45 minutes to extinguish.

"It was a pretty big fire," the assistant chief said, adding that firefighters were able to prevent damage to surrounding buildings.

This morning our members made an aggressive and coordinated attack on a commercial fire in Belmont Shore portion of Long Beach. They we able to confine this fire to the involved business and not let it spread. This is an important example of why restorations of services are so important. Restorations help to maintain and improve the service's we provide to our citizens in Long Beach. @longbeachfire @belmontshorelb @cityoflongbeachca @chief_miller #longbeachfirefighters #longbeach #belmontshore #longbeachfire

A post shared by Local 372 (@longbeachfirefighters) on Jun 12, 2018 at 4:18pm PDT

The blaze appeared to be concentrated toward the building's rear, fire Capt. Matt Dobberpuhl said.

The cause was under investigation. Dobberpuhl did not have a damage estimate.

Dogz was under renovation and slated to re-open in a few weeks. The restaurant had been closed since January 2017 after sufferingmajor damage from flooding when a delivery truck sheared off a fire hydrant at Glendora Avenue and Second, the corner where the restaurant sits.

Dogz co-owner Rod Frontino said a contractor discovered the fire on the roof when he arrived at work this morning and called 911.

There were makeshift walls on the rooftop to shield construction equipment from view, he said, adding that the building's gas and electricity lines were turned off.

Frontino and others spent the morning processing the loss and dealing with the restaurant's insurance provider. He didn't have a damage estimate yet.

After the 2017 flood, the city required a complete rebuild, Frontino said.

"I've been through something like this before," he said, taking in the scene.

Contractors who had spent months on the multi-million-dollar rebuild were sweeping up debris.

"Coincidentally, we got final approval yesterday to finish the exterior and stucco it," Frontino said.

The restaurant's new windows still had manufacturer stickers on them.

"Everything was brand new: the plumbing, the kitchen, the electronics, TVs, the sound system, the doors and windows -- everything was new," Frontino said.

He planned to check security video footage taken after 4 a.m. for any clue about what happened.

Frontino was thankful for the support from the Long Beach Fire Department and the community.

"When the flood happened, we committed to coming back bigger and better than ever, and we're still committed to that," he said. "The hardest part is the 45 loyal staff members we have who were anxiously awaiting returning to work."

Dogz Bar and Grill opened in April 2011 after a complete remodel. That spot was previously called Belmont Station and operated for more than 25 years as a Mexican restaurant and bar.

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