The owner of a Boyle Heights taco shop closed the doors of his beloved restaurant Wednesday after an early morning fire engulfed his life’s work.
“This morning at 3 a.m. I arrived to find our life’s work, everything my family and I poured our hearts and souls into, reduced to ashes by a devastating fire,” wrote Jose, the owner of Birria los Socios, on Instagram . “The sight of our dreams and hard-earned things going up in flames was beyond heartbreaking.”
Firefighters arrived in Birria los Socios just after 3:15 a.m. after a large inferno destroyed a row of commercial buildings in the 3500 block of E. Third Street. Due to the dangerous nature of the fire, crews were only able to fight the flames from outside the store using ladder pipes and other heavy water flows.
It took 30 firefighters and 198 minutes to extinguish the flames, but crews remained in the area to ensure the fires did not reignite.
The owner said the family started the business in 2017 after working as street vendors.
“We started as street vendors, worked tirelessly to realize our dream and eventually set up a physical store. But our journey was marred by a series of burglaries in Los Angeles that set us back further and further than the last, causing enormous financial strain and emotional hardship,” the owner wrote.
The company asked for financial help to rebuild and clean up the remaining ash.
“We are reaching out to you and humbly requesting your assistance. We need money to clear the wreckage and rebuild from scratch,” the owner wrote on Instagram. “Your support will not only help us recover financially, but also restore our hope and determination to continue our journey.”
