A fire in the coffee roaster at Cafe Bello brought an immediate response by multiple fire trucks Saturday morning. Thankfully there were no injuries and the over-heated roaster and chimney were quickly cooled down.
Cafe Bello is located at 2885 Diamond St., between Bosworth and Kern.
Firefighters blocked off Diamond street around 10:30 May 29 while they cooled down the exterior metal chimney with water from a fire hose while a ladder to the roof allowed them to look for hot spots.
“We’re checking for fire extentions,” said Asst. Fire Chief Tom Siragusa, who led the team.
The Cafe’s owner, Joshua Li, said he got busy helping customers and left the roaster to overheat.
A large crowd gathered on the sidewalks watching the fire fighters work, including many children enchanted by the sight of fire trucks, ladders and hoses.
Multiple residents pledged to buy “lots more” coffee at Cafe Bello to help Li make up the cost of a new commercial roaster, which can easily run into thousands of dollars.
By Elizabeth Weise
Photos: Liz Mangelsdorf
