The first fire broke out late Monday night at Panda Machi Sushi Bar & Chinese Cuisine, located at 1730 Alpine Boulevard. Heartland Fire received an automatic fire alarm notification just before 11 p.m. on January 12, and arriving crews immediately observed flames pushing through the roof of the restaurant. Due to the visible fire conditions, the response was quickly upgraded to a first alarm and then escalated to a second alarm upon the arrival of a battalion chief.
According to Alpine Fire Chief Brian Boggeln, the fire appears to have originated in the roof area of the building. At the time of the incident, the business owner was inside the restaurant cooking. The building’s sprinkler system activated and helped slow the spread of the fire, though firefighters reported significant water damage throughout the interior as crews worked to extinguish the blaze. Roughly 45 firefighters from nine agencies responded, including Alpine Fire, Lakeside Fire, Santee Fire, La Mesa Fire, Viejas Fire, Barona Fire, Sycuan Fire, San Miguel Fire, the San Diego County Fire Authority, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and SDG&E. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring businesses, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Just hours later, a second two-alarm fire erupted Tuesday morning at Junction Bar & Grill, located at 777 Jamacha Road in El Cajon. Heartland Fire & Rescue was dispatched at approximately 9:21 a.m. after reports of a structure fire at the sports bar, which sits within a commercial strip mall. Responding units reported seeing a large column of smoke from a distance, prompting an upgrade to a working first alarm even before crews arrived on scene.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered fire through the roof of the building, with officials indicating the blaze may have originated near the restaurant’s hood system. Due to the intensity of the fire and concerns about extension into adjacent units, the incident was escalated to a second alarm. El Cajon Police temporarily shut down Granite Hills Drive to allow fire crews to deploy multiple hose lines into the shopping center.
Heartland Fire spokesperson Andy McKellar said firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in approximately 20 minutes. No injuries were reported. Fire officials estimate the blaze caused roughly $1.1 million in damage to the restaurant, which had not yet opened for the day. The fire also spread into a shared attic space connecting neighboring businesses, complicating suppression efforts. Assisting agencies included El Cajon Fire Department, San Miguel Fire, Santee Fire Department, and El Cajon Police Department.
Officials noted that the El Cajon fire marked the second two-alarm commercial fire in East County within the same overnight period. Investigations into the causes of both fires are ongoing.
Originally published on January 13, 2026.
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