Investigators say it was accidental and caused by an appliance. The fire which broke out in the Price Street restaurant around 2 in the morning is a big shock to the community. It's been a place of many great memories for decades.
Tears, shock and disbelief after flames ripped through Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana.
"Pretty devastating as you can see, dining room, bars all gone," said family friend and business partner, Victor Vacanti.
Police and firefighters arrived on scene just after 2:15 Saturday morning.
"At that point the front windows collapsed inward, and the entire front section of the building flashed over," said Battalion Chief, Tom McEwen of Cal Fire.
The front half of the building where the dining room and bar used to be is completely destroyed. Chairs and tables are charred.
The fire was contained within half an hour, according to officials, and the Pismo Beach Police and the Pismo Beach Public Works Department were on scene to close the streets near the restaurant and direct traffic. Streets were closed for about six hours.
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The restaurant, which has been a popular establishment in Pismo Beach since the late 1980s, is split into two sections — a dining room and hosting area.
Byrnes said the dining room sustained the most damage.
"The original building was bought in the 1920s, and that's the side of the building that took a really large hit," said Byrnes.
"The kitchen, which was added on in the early ’90s, sustained some smoke damage, but it didn't take as big of a hit as the dining area," said Byrnes. "The dining area took the hardest hit."
Byrnes added: "This restaurant is the family's livelihood, and they have another restaurant in San Luis Obispo going through remodeling that won't be open until months from now, so this is really tough for them."
Pulse is a gay bar, dance club, and nightclub in Orlando, Florida, founded in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler. On June 12, 2016, it was the scene of the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in US history, with 49 people killed and 53 injured by a lone gunman.
Pulse hosts themed performances each night and has a monthly program featuring educational events geared towards the LGBT community. According to Orlando Weekly, Pulse features "three glitzy, throbbing rooms of club boys, twinks and twinks at heart. Every night has something different in store, but Pulse is known to have some pretty impressive drag shows, and the bar's dancers are usually gorgeous." Because of the three areas, Lonely Planet Discover Florida deemed it "three nightclubs", while their Florida volume focused on it being "ultramodern".
Top 10 Orlando called it a "firm favorite for the Orlando gay crowd", The Rough Guide to Florida deemed it "justifiably popular", citing its "great lighting and sound plus cabaret performers, drag acts, and erotic dancers." Pulse was the only gay club mentioned in The Rough Guide to the USA for Orlando.According to listings, the entire premises, including the washrooms, are accessible. Using "periodic consumer surveys", Zagat rated Pulse 25/30 for atmosphere, 25/30 decor, and 22/30 service
Founded by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler, Pulse opened on July 2, 2004. Poma's brother John died in 1991 from AIDS, and the club is "named for John's pulse to live on", according to a marketing staff member in February 2016. The venue has a focus on local talent.Poma ensured that her brother's memory was prominent on the website, that the facility was more than "just another gay club". Legler was President of the Florida Theatrical Association at the time of foundation, and founded two nightclubs in Lake Eola Park in 2010, leaving for Baltimore in 2011. The Washington Post described its first 12 years as "a community hub for HIV prevention, breast-cancer awareness and immigrant rights, and reported it had partnered with educational and advocacy groups such as Come Out with Pride, Equality Florida, and the Zebra Coalition.
On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a mass shooting. The attack is the deadliest single gunman mass shooting in United States history, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history,and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks of 2001.
A wildfire that broke out Thursday afternoon in Kern County quickly tore through a wide area, overwhelming firefighters and burning dozens of homes.
The Erskine Fire was small when it broke out shortly before 4 p.m. but was driven by winds of over 20 mph, mountainous terrain and five years of drought, Kern County Fire Chief Brian Marshall said at an early Friday morning press conference.
The fire held steady Saturday night and as of Sunday morning, it has been 10 percent contained. It has burned 36,810 acres and destroyed 200 structures. Firefighters are hoping to take advantage of lighter winds forecast for Sunday but temperatures in the 90s and low humidity remain a challenge. Two fatalities have been confirmed. Precautionary evacuations are recommended for Squirrel Valley, Mountain Mesa, South Lake, Lake Isabella (Erskine Creek area) and the Weldon area, which includes Landers Meadow and Clareville.
The fire, which prompted mandatory evacuation orders, had been called 5 percent contained Friday but fire officials revised that number to 0 percent Saturday morning because they want to ensure retardant lines hold. By Saturday night, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it was 10 percent contained.
"I thought this was my retirement fund," said Danny Walker, who lost his house, his garage, and two of his three dogs. "Everything's gone."
"I ain't got money to start over," he said. "I'll start somewhere."
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. Three Kern County firefighters who suffered minor to moderate smoke inhalation were released from the hospital by Saturday, the fire department said.
"I've never been in a wildland fire where I've seen so many homes burn," Kern County fire Capt. Tyler Townsend told NBC Los Angeles Friday. "It's one of the most devastating I've ever seen."
Fire activity Saturday "was not as dramatic today" with a decrease in winds that fueled the blaze, a fire operations section chief told a community meeting Saturday night. Firefighting resources were being deployed to hang on to gains made throughout the day.
High temperatures have fueled recent wildfires in the West.
The so-called Dog Head Fire in New Mexico, which broke out June 14 and burned nearly 18,000 acres — damaging a dozen homes — was 90 percent contained by Saturday, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Another blaze in Southern California, the Sherpa Fire west of Santa Barbara, started June 15 and burned 7,400 acres but was 93 percent contained as of Saturday.
The Border Fire, also in Southern California but near the Mexico border, has burned just over 7,600 acres since it broke out near Potrero Sunday and was 75 percent contained by Saturday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Five homes were destroyed.
The Erskine Fire is a wildfire that is burning in the Lake Isabella area of Kern County. As of June 2016, it is the largest and most destructive wildfire of the 2016 California wildfire season. It was also the first fire to have fatalities.
The fire, which was first reported around 4:00pm on Thursday, June 23rd, quickly grew to over 8,000 acres (32 km2) and destroyed over 100 structures, including at least 80 residences, in the first few hours.
By mid-day Friday the fire had grown to over 19,000 acres (77 km2) and is still 0% -contained. By 6:00pm on Friday, officials confirmed that the fire had grown to over 30,000 acres (120 km2) with 5% contained.
Friday evening Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Kern County.
On Friday, June 24th, officials confirmed that 2 people had been killed by the fast moving fire. Officials also stated that cadaver dogs were being used to search for possible additional victims.The deceased victims were an elderly couple who died while attempting to flee their home. A possible third fatality may have occurred inside a mobile home, though the body had been burned so badly that it is unclear on whether or not the remains belong to a human or an animal.
