Sharkeez, Popular Hermosa Beach Club, Destroyed in After-Hours Fire

An early morning fire Tuesday destroyed the building that houses Sharkeez, a popular restaurant and nightclub in Hermosa Beach, officials said.

The club was a total loss, said Stephen Burrell, Hermosa Beach city manager.

No one was inside the building, which is about 80 years old, and there were no injuries, said Chuck Wilson, battalion chief for the Manhattan Beach Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

When firefighters arrived about 4:30 a.m., the blaze was concentrated in the loft, which held an office and storage area, said Capt. Michael Garofano of the Hermosa Beach Fire Department. Smoke had filled the first floor, making it difficult for firefighters to reach the fire on the upper level, Wilson said.

Fire departments from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, El Segundo and Los Angeles County fought the flames, Wilson said. Firefighters removed the club’s facade to get at the fire, he added.

“It was one of our more stubborn fires,” Garofano said.

Although a “major portion” of the fire was out after about two hours, Wilson said, firefighters continued to quash hot spots through the day.

The flames did not spread to neighboring establishments, which suffered some minor water damage, Garofano said.