Downtown Italian Hotspot Rossoblu Knocked Out After Kitchen Fire

A small kitchen fire broke out last night at Rossoblu in the Fashion District. The popular Italian restaurant was completely evacuated, and no one was hurt.

Per multiple sources, the fire started within the restaurant’s hood system but remained relatively contained (despite plenty of smoke). The evening was actually dedicated to a No Kid Hungry charity event hosted by Billy Harris, but was closed down early following the fire around 8:30 p.m.

Reps for Rossoblu say the restaurant will definitely be closed for service tonight and likely the next few days, but that total damage was minimal and the expectation is to get up and running again in just a short amount of time. That could be easier said than done, though, as Los Angeles restaurant AOC knows well. It suffered a kitchen fire on August 10, and are still not back in operation.

Fires are, somewhat unsurprisingly, a common enough occurrence within the restaurant industry, amounting to some $200 million in annual property damage. Just in Los Angeles over the past few years, big names like Jon & Vinny’s and even Bestia have suffered minor kitchen fires. More info on Rossoblu’s reopening when it comes.

Rossoblu. 1124 San Julian St., Los Angeles, CA.

• Why More Than 8,000 Restaurants Catch Fire Every Year [ELA]