Hours after a raging fire destroyed four Leucadia businesses, including a popular local cafe, the community was raising funds to support the owners.
The devastating fire erupted at the long-standing Mozy Cafe at the corner of N. Coast Highway 101 and Daphne Street at about 2 a.m. and tore through the building, which also housed Peace Pies Restaurant, Shatto & Sons T-Shirts and The Cali Life art gallery.
Encinitas firefighters doused flames but the fire continued to burn throughout the morning. None of the attached businesses could be saved.
But within hours, though, the community had already found ways to offer support to the people behind some of their favorite local spots.
"Beloved Leucadia locally owned businesses which brought, 'good food and good vibes' to all completely destroyed by fire. We need your help to rebuild this historic landmark and gathering center," one online fundraising post read.
Within 24 hours, the GoFundMe page had raised more than $4,000 from 80 donors.
Greg Cali owns the attached art gallery. He found out about the fire through a text message from a friend that said, "'The place is gone,' so I just came to see it for myself," he told NBC 7.
A second fundraising page was created to support The Cali Life gallery, which had also already raised thousands of dollars by the next morning.
The businesses were an important part of the small beachside community. Neighbor Audrey Kirk called Mozy's "iconic Leucadia."
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"The vibe is the coolest vibe ever. It's so beachy, Leucadia," she said. "Nobody ever wore shoes when you go to the front counter to order. There's still sand on people's feet."
When crews arrived just before 2 a.m., clouds of thick, dark gray smoke were pouring from the front of the restaurant and erratic flames could be seen coming from the roof.
Within hours, the fire was slowed but some flames could still be seen peeking through the roof of the building.
Several hoses were used to douse the flames but firefighters had trouble accessing the inside of the building to find the base of the fire. At about 5:30 a.m., crews used a backhoe to tear down the front of the building in order access the inside.
The building's owner was at the scene Monday morning and his duaghter later arrived to offer support. The two embraced as crews doused hot spots.
There was no immediate word on what caused the fire. No injuries were reported.
