Oakland firefighters saved a beloved Mexican restaurant from a suspected arson fire in the Fruitvale neighborhood early Friday.

Fire crews were sent to the building that is home to Guadalajara Restaurant in the 1000 block of Fruitvale Avenue at about 2:45 a.m. Friday, according to Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.

Hunt said crews got to the scene within two minutes of getting the call and found flames coming from the side of the building that faces East 10th Street.

The fire was ripping through an insurance agency office that occupies a corner of the parcel and Hunt said two fire engines, two ladder truck companies and about 30 firefighters were able to keep it from spreading to the restaurant.

Oakland Fire Department firefighters work an overnight arson fire, saving a Fruitvale neighborhood Mexican restaurant in Oakland on Friday, March 27, 2026. The fire damaged an insurance agency office near the restaurant but firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading. (Oakland Fire Department via Bay City News)

The fire was under control by 3 a.m., Hunt said.

Crews “prevented the fire from causing ANY damage to Guadalajara Restaurant which owns the building, employs dozens of people and has been a beloved institution in the Fruitvale neighborhood for decades,” he said.

Soon after the fire was doused, investigators found “an incendiary cause, and an arson investigation is now open and underway,” according to Hunt.

No injuries were reported.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.