Firefighters spent Christmas morning battling a fire at a former popular country bar in Mission Valley, officials said.
The blaze was reported at what used to be the In Cahoots Dance Hall & Saloon at 5373 Mission Center Road just before 10 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Video from the scene shows orange flames coming from the building, and black smoke billowing into the sky could be seen from nearby streets, and Interstate 8 and Interstate 15.
In late October, the former country bar — which has been closed since 2018 — and the building next to it caught fire. Viewers as far south as Bankers Hill called NBC 7 to report smells of smoke. Fire crews remained at the scene for more than 10 hours.
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"We didn't go inside because the structure was limited and compromised from the fire before," SDFD Battalion Chief Craig Newell said Wednesday.
Instead, fire crews let the structure burn and focused on protecting the surrounding buildings.
No one was inside the building and no one was hurt, fire officials said. Crews stayed on the scene for a couple of hours to make sure the flames were completely out.
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The investigation into the cause and origin is ongoing, Newell said, adding that it will be challenging to determine them because the building had been previously burned.
Rachel Elandt was one of the several people who saw the smoke and stopped across the street to see what was happening.
"It does make us reflect on all that we do have on Christmas morning," said Elandt, who was visiting family in San Diego and on her way to Balboa Park. "We do appreciate the fact that we are safe. I'm glad everyone is safe, too, it looks like."
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information arrives.
