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CITY OF LAGRANGE, GA. JULY 22ND, 2024 – On July 22, 2024, at 8:22 AM, the LaGrange Fire Department received reports of a fire at Juanito’s Mexican restaurant located at 1510 Lafayette Parkway. Several witnesses driving by noticed smoke coming from the roof and a smell similar to burning plastic.

Firefighters from Engine One arrived quickly and saw heavy black smoke coming from both the roof and the back of the restaurant. They forced their way through a locked front door and quickly found and extinguished the fire.

Truck 32 used a ladder to help extinguish flames that had spread through a vent in the roof. Additional fire units, including Engine Four and Five from LaGrange and Engine One from Troup County, joined the effort. They formed a special team to ensure everyone’s safety and forced their way into another side of the building.

Firefighters from Engine Five and Engine Four searched the restaurant to make sure there were no people trapped inside. Fortunately, they confirmed that everyone was safe.

The fire was completely under control by 8:36 AM, just 11 minutes after the first firefighters arrived. The restaurant is part of a single-story building that houses several shops. An estimated $5,000 worth of property damage was sustained, along with $4,000 worth of content loss. There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.