Arlington, Va. — A two-level alarm went off at a restaurant in Crystal City on Saturday night.

The burnt shards and broken glass are leftovers in Top Thai and the Andalusian hookah bar and lounge next door. As the flame passed through the roof, the fire spread to the entire building.

Investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. The Arlington Fire Department stated that the fire started around 10pm on Saturday night and it took about two hours to put out the fire.

“We usually close the restaurant at 9:30pm. We are our regular customers and close everything,” said Chris Hernandez, the owner of Top Thai.

Before he and his wife settled at home, they received a call about the fire.

“The people living upstairs are preparing to go to bed and rest. Within 10.15 minutes, we received a call and I was not there. They said there was a fire in Top Thai and Andalusia Hookah Bar,” Hernandez added.

The hookah bar next door was still open to serve customers. The owner did not want to be on the camera, but told WUSA9 that it seemed that they had lost everything.

Fire investigators have not yet determined exactly how it started. Hernandez said his restaurant has just started to get on track.

"During the pandemic, it was very, very difficult. We have been struggling; if it weren't for the grants and help provided by the government, I think we would be closed now," he said. 

Patrice Berrina hopes to have lunch on Sunday. Seeing what had happened, she was stunned.

She said: "I think it would be great if the community can unite to help them reopen, and even give them a temporary shelter until they repair the building."

The businesses next door have suffered the least damage, and they are now rallying to support their neighbors.

"With the support of the community, we are now a lot calmer," Hernandez said. 

GoFundMe was established to help employees and rebuild top Thai restaurants: https://gofund.me/13d15bdd 

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