Mass. Latin American restaurant expected to be a total loss after two-alarm fire

A Latin American restaurant in Attleboro is expected to be declared a total loss following a two-alarm fire that broke out in its building early Saturday morning, according to the city’s fire department.

Firefighters responded to El Buen Sazon at 147 Pine St. shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 9, the Attleboro Fire Department said in a press release. At the scene, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the building.

“Interior crews faced zero visibility and extreme heat while working to extinguish the flames. Firefighters cut ventilation holes in the roof to help release heat and smoke,” the release reads.

Around 2:05 a.m., the incident commander noticed the roof of the restaurant sagging, and it partially collapsed soon after, the fire department said. The commander then ordered an emergency evacuation from the building, and all firefighters who were inside the restaurant managed to get out safely.

Fire crews then switched to an exterior, defensive attack strategy to douse the flames, the fire department said. Firefighters remained on scene until nearly 5:40 a.m.

“This was a challenging fire to extinguish,” the incident commander, Attleboro Fire District Chief Michael Maitland, said in the release. “The building’s layout was far from typical, which made accessing and reaching the seat of the fire difficult. Despite those challenges, our crews worked tirelessly under dangerous conditions to bring the fire under control.”

The building is expected to be declared a total loss, the fire department said. The fire does not appear suspicious, but firefighters are still investigating.

El Buen Sazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday morning. Its website says it specializes in Guatemalan and Salvadoran cuisine.