A FIRE in the ceiling above the stoves at Ventana Inn’s Cielo restaurant Sunday afternoon burned through the roof and caused extensive smoke and water damage to the building. The restaurant will now be out of commission for months and may have to be demolished, according to spokesperson Johanna Koch. The inn will also be closed until Sept. 1.

During the Basin Complex Fire, which was started by lightning June 21 and ravaged a vast area of Big Sur and upper Carmel Valley, firefighters successfully worked to defend the inn. But some of its surrounding grounds were burned, and after preparing the property to receive guests again, management had initially planned to reopen for business Aug. 22.

We were so stunned,” Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Frank Pinney said, because Ventana had survived the vast wildfire finally contained late last month, only to sustain damage in a serious fire two weeks later. (It also occurred the day after a Big Sur Fire Relief Fund fundraiser involving several Big Sur chefs.)

According to Pinney, restaurant workers sounded the alarm around 1:45 p.m. Aug. 10 after smelling smoke, though no one knew what was burning, or where. The 20 employees and 60 diners — most of whom were on the patio enjoying a sunny Sunday lunch — quickly evacuated as Big Sur Fire volunteers arrived on an engine and water tender.

“We had a fire brigade meeting that day and happened to be at the firehouse,” when the call came, Pinney said, so crews were scrambled without delay. “One of our fire brigade volunteers was there having lunch with a friend and had to scurry out and go get his turnouts [firefighting clothing], and come back and help fight the fire.”

Crews searched for its exact location in the building.

“It was a little difficult to tell, because there was nothing but smoke,” Pinney explained, but they soon discovered the fire was “fully involved in enclosed spaces above the kitchen and dining room.” Because the fire promised to be difficult to fight, Pinney summoned another Big Sur engine and asked neighboring fire departments for help. The U.S. Forest Service responded, as did Carmel, Carmel Highlands, Pacific Grove, Carmel Valley and Monterey departments.

Upon arriving just before 3 p.m., Carmel Fire Capt. Bruce Meyer said he saw “a lot of black smoke” coming from the restaurant that boasts sweeping mountain and coastal views.

In addition to attacking the fire from inside — including ripping into walls and ceilings to extinguish it where it spread — Meyer said his team strove to prevent further damage. While Cielo’s high ceilings meant greater visibility despite the smoke, the restaurant’s tongue-in-groove wood construction made getting into the walls and ceilings harder.

Crews worked until 3:30 just to get the fire contained, according to Pinney, and several more hours passed before it was out. He estimated as many as 10 engines and other vehicles carrying some 25 to 30 firefighters were at the scene, including a dozen local volunteers.

“It was a tremendous effort by the Big Sur volunteers and was supported by a tremendous turnout of mutual aid from the whole Monterey area,” Pinney said. “We had to have that kind of help for a fire of this size, and there was great collaboration.”

Pinney said firefighters initially believed the cause of the fire was electrical, but investigators from Cal Fire and Salinas are tasked with determining what occurred.

Keeping paychecks coming

Meanwhile, Ventana is trying to help its employees find other means of maintaining cash flow during a summer that has already been severely impacted by fire.

“It has been heartbreaking,” Koch said.

When the Basin Fire interrupted business, the inn’s insurance policy provided pay, according to Koch. She hopes the same will be true for those who can’t work at Cielo because of the fire there.

“What’s most important is the employees. We’re really concerned about their well being,” she said. “It’s been a tough time for all hourly employees down here. We’re going to do our best to find them work in the meantime.”

Some will work at the inn, which is set to reopen Sept. 1 and isn’t fully staffed, according to Koch. And though the restaurant is shut, the resort plans to offer limited food and beverage services to its guests via a few smaller kitchens on the property.

Kock said insurance adjusters are surveying the damage and will determine how much of the restaurant and kitchen can be saved, if any, as well as the cost of the damages.

Regardless, the fact that none of the dozens of diners and workers was hurt, and that the fire did not spread, were cause for thanks.

“Thanks for the firefighters who have come to our rescue,” she said. “Again.”