Historic Pacific Dining Car under demolition after early-morning fire
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- Roughly 100 Los Angeles firefighters responded to a fire at Westlake’s historic Pacific Dining Car restaurant on Thursday morning.
- Once inside, firefighters determined the fire had damaged the attic along with the roof of the structure.
A blaze severely damaged Westlake’s historic Pacific Dining Car restaurant Thursday morning, leading to demolition of much of the structure at the site later that afternoon.
The blaze was the second fire reported at the shuttered eatery in less than a year.
Roughly 100 Los Angeles firefighters responded to the fire in the 1300 block of West 6th Street. The call came in at 6:53 a.m., and first responders reached the facility at 7:06 a.m.
Once inside, firefighters determined the fire had started in the attic, damaging it along with the roof of the structure. The building was vacant, and there were no injuries.
It took about 45 minutes to knock down the blaze. Fire investigators are still determining the cause.
Later that afternoon, Los Angeles Fire spokesperson David Ortiz told CBS 2 that the department brought out an excavator to demolish a portion of the building because it posed a hazard to those walking by.
Esotouric’s Secret Los Angeles posted footage of the demolition.
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the blaze at the century-old restaurant building, which attracted movers and shakers for much of its history.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety also was on the scene to determine the building’s structural integrity. An email to the department was not immediately answered.
The restaurant, built in 1921 and moved to its current location in 1923, was designed to resemble a railroad car. It closed permanently in 2020 and was boarded and fenced up at the time of the fire.
Part of the restaurant burned in August.
The Pacific Dining Car was once a popular eatery among L.A.’s movers and shakers, known for fine steaks and 24-hour service. It made several cameos in movies throughout its history, including “Training Day.”
The Los Angeles City Council designated a portion of the site as a historic-cultural monument in 2023.
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