DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Investigators are trying to determine what sparked a fire at a landmark South Florida restaurant Tuesday morning.
Just before 4 a.m. Tuesday, a Broward Sheriff?s Office deputy on patrol in Dania Beach spotted smoke along Griffin Road.
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Firefighters from Broward County Fire Rescue and Hollywood firefighters responded to a blaze at the Tropical Acres Restaurant in Dania Beach and found heavy smoke and flames from the rear of the building.
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They were able to confine the fire to the kitchen and laundry areas.
Fire crews continued dousing hot spots into the morning. One firefighter was treated for dehydration and transported to an area hospital.
Nearby homes were also evacuated as a precaution.
The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire.
Tropical Acres considers itself Broward's oldest steakhouse and seafood restaurant. The family-owned restaurant is celebrating its 60th year.
This isn't the first setback the restaurant has faced. In 1964, a fire burned Tropical Acres to the ground.
As for this most recent setback, the restaurant's owner, Jack Studiale, vowed that people will eat there again.
"It's a bump in the road," Studiale told Local 10's Terrell Forney. "I'm going to give some of my staff some time off, but we'll try to compensate them as much as we can. But there's a lot of work to do."
The Broward Sheriff's Office said Tuesday afternoon that the fire did not appear to be suspicious.
In April 2011, Local 10 viewers chose Tropical Acres as "The Best Steakhouse in South Florida.". To see photos of Tropical Acres before the fire and the rest of the Top 10 winners, click .
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