Fire Ignites Yankee Doodles Kitchen

Written by City News Service

A fire damaged a Yankee Doodles restaurant and pool parlor in Santa Monica Monday morning, but no one was hurt, authorities said.

Firefighters sent to 1410 Third Street Promenade at 5:03 a.m. found flames in the kitchen and extinguished the main part of the fire in about 15 minutes, said Santa Monica fire Battalion Chief Carl Bjerke.

However, the flames also spread into the ducting system, fueled in part by grease, and firefighters worked on fully extinguishing the fire until shortly after 7 a.m., when a knockdown was declared, Bjerke said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. A damage estimate was not immediately available. Inspectors will have to determine when the restaurant can reopen for business, but the pre-1933-era building appeared to be structurally sound, Bjerke said.