Patrons of Saaz will be able to enjoy the restaurant’s south Indian cuisine again, perhaps as early as June 30, an owner said Wednesday.
Co-owner Raj Gupta said building assessors and insurance adjusters are only beginning to look over the fire and water damage, estimated at $150,000.
But Gupta said Saaz, at 535 Yates St., near Wharf Street, could reopen as early as the end of the month if damage is not too extensive and repairs and renovations can be completed.
Nobody was injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Gupta said he has received a number of calls from people sad to the hear news of the fire.
“Hopefully, everything will come back,” he said.
The fire broke out just after 11 p.m. Monday, after the restaurant, which opened in 2013 and specializes in the cuisine of southern India, had closed for the night.
Price’s Alarms alerted firefighters to an alarm on the premises, while someone called 911 reporting possible flames. Victoria police also advised the fire department of flames seen from the rear of Bastion Square.
Firefighters arrived and broke down a nearby door, smashing out the glass.
The restaurant’s sprinklers had activated and kept the fire contained, said Battalion Chief Dave Bicknell, and firefighters were able to extinguish the flames within minutes.
The fire started in an area used as a busing station and for storage, he said.
According to the Victoria Fire Department, the fire began in an area used as a busing station and for storage.
A few hours after the Saaz blaze, a small fire was reported at 701 Esquimalt Rd., across from Dalton Street in Vic West.
Victoria firefighters responded about 3 a.m. to the report of smoke in the building.
Upon arrival, crews found light smoke in the basement and the ground floor of the apartment building.
It turned out a chair in a common area of the basement had been smouldering. The apartment’s manager discovered it and moved it to the rear parking lot.
Fire crews removed the smoke with fans.
Residents were able to return to their suites once the smoke had cleared.
