Fire Causes $5 Million In Damage To Rancho Mirage Landmark Restaurant
More than 50 firefighters responded to a fire at GG’s Island Restaurant in the 69900 block of Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage just before 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Flames reaching 40 to 60 feet greeted firefighters when they arrived. It took firefighters nearly four hours to get the blaze under control.
“It’s very unique in that its roof line is very wide and very low,” said Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Mike Smith. “The vegetation and soil around the structure was pushed up into the walls of the structure, which hampered firefighters’ abilities to get in and force windows, and make access to windows, which forced us to utilize only the door openings.”
The restaurant sits next to the Atrium Center. Atrium property manager Dave Stanfield didn’t know what to think when he learned about the fire. “It’s scary. I haven’t heard yet what happened, but I couldn’t get through to check the Atrium. I was worried it was on fire as well,” said Stanfield.
The Atrium wasn’t touched, but the charred restaurant is another story.
Designed by architect Ken Kellog in 1978, the building was originally a Chart House location.
Since it’s considered one of the great examples of organic architecture in California, the city of Rancho Mirage designated the building a landmark.
“The value was the fact the architect at the time took into consideration the landscape,” said Herb Smalley, a member of the Rancho Mirage Historic Preservation Commission. “If you’ll notice, the building is all bermed in the front of the south side, so it was ecologically superb as far as energy use. It was way ahead of its time.”
Smalley added, he believed it would be cost prohibitive to restore the restaurant that he considered a piece of art.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
