Heartland firefighters upgraded an El Cajon fire to a two-alarm response as it ripped through a thrift store at a strip mall.
The flames and smoke were first reported just after 9 p.m. at 941 Broadway.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire, so they called in a backup with a second alarm. They were able to contain the fire to the thrift store.
Businesses on both sides had smoke damage but no fire damage.
While there was no one inside, many people gathered on the street and at a nearby yogurt shop. Manager Derek Carlyon was most concerned about his customers.
"We got a lot of customers. Everyone that has ever heard of our place knows we have a lot of people close to where that store is," he said. "So you just get worried about the customers, always a lot of families on the weekends."
Police closed Broadway and Mollison Avenue in the area as the blaze was extinguished.
Investigators do not yet know the cause of the fire, but they don't believe it's suspicious.
