An early morning fire in North Highlands has left Bear West BBQ and Soul Food and Heredia Art Collective facing significant damage and financial loss, with both businesses estimating thousands of dollars in losses.Marlon Smith, the owner’s son of Bear West BBQ and Soul Food, expressed his devastation over the damage to his mother’s restaurant. “I don’t know how to feel, and I want to cry. I want to be mad. I want to hit something,” Smith said. “I don’t think I could even put my feelings into words and how I really feel just because of the extent of the damage.”Smith shared that the restaurant was going to be expanded into a two-in-one establishment. He invited KCRA onto the burnt property to survey the damage. “This was going to be my second restaurant, which I was going to have a two-in-one restaurant,” he said.Despite the losses, Smith said, “Everything is gone. But the only thing that I will say that’s good is that our smoker survived. It’s the only thing that survived out here.”If you would like to support Bear West BBQ & Soul Food, click here.The Heredia Art Collective, a tattoo shop next door, also faces thousands of dollars in losses. The shop flooded when fire crews attempted to put out the blaze and suffered smoke damage. The roof filled with holes as fire crews poked them to ventilate the fire. Owner Zucely Heredia expressed her distress, saying, “It’s just so sad, you know, it’s our bread and butter. It’s how we pay our bills.” Heredia described the challenges of dealing with the damage, stating, “We have to get all of our stuff out of here. Everything we have to get out of here because it’s just going to rain again. It’s going to create more damage. It’s going to cave in because of all the water in the attic. I don’t even know. I’m speechless.”Heredia worried about the artists in her shop and is calling on the community for support.”If there are any local shops, you know, that can help us house a lot of us in the meantime to get back on our feet, that would be greatly appreciated,” Heredia said. If you would like to help Heredia Art Collective, click here.Both businesses are currently in discussions with their insurance companies, but they anticipate that the coverage will not fully compensate for their losses. Sacramento Metro Fire is investigating the cause of the fire.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
An early morning fire in North Highlands has left Bear West BBQ and Soul Food and Heredia Art Collective facing significant damage and financial loss, with both businesses estimating thousands of dollars in losses.
Marlon Smith, the owner’s son of Bear West BBQ and Soul Food, expressed his devastation over the damage to his mother’s restaurant.
“I don’t know how to feel, and I want to cry. I want to be mad. I want to hit something,” Smith said. “I don’t think I could even put my feelings into words and how I really feel just because of the extent of the damage.”
Smith shared that the restaurant was going to be expanded into a two-in-one establishment. He invited KCRA onto the burnt property to survey the damage.
“This was going to be my second restaurant, which I was going to have a two-in-one restaurant,” he said.
Despite the losses, Smith said, “Everything is gone. But the only thing that I will say that’s good is that our smoker survived. It’s the only thing that survived out here.”
If you would like to support Bear West BBQ & Soul Food, click here.
The Heredia Art Collective, a tattoo shop next door, also faces thousands of dollars in losses. The shop flooded when fire crews attempted to put out the blaze and suffered smoke damage. The roof filled with holes as fire crews poked them to ventilate the fire.
Owner Zucely Heredia expressed her distress, saying, “It’s just so sad, you know, it’s our bread and butter. It’s how we pay our bills.”
Heredia described the challenges of dealing with the damage, stating, “We have to get all of our stuff out of here. Everything we have to get out of here because it’s just going to rain again. It’s going to create more damage. It’s going to cave in because of all the water in the attic. I don’t even know. I’m speechless.”
Heredia worried about the artists in her shop and is calling on the community for support.
“If there are any local shops, you know, that can help us house a lot of us in the meantime to get back on our feet, that would be greatly appreciated,” Heredia said.
If you would like to help Heredia Art Collective, click here.
Both businesses are currently in discussions with their insurance companies, but they anticipate that the coverage will not fully compensate for their losses.
Sacramento Metro Fire is investigating the cause of the fire.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
