San Jose

Fire at San Jose Strip Mall Burns Dry Cleaning Business

Investigators are looking into the cause of an early morning fire on Saturday that burned half of a San Jose strip mall, including a dry cleaning business, fire officials said.

Other businesses burned were a pizza parlor and a taqueria. All seven units in the strip mall have been affected by fire or smoke damage and were closed Saturday. 

It appeared the same mall had been recently targeted. 

"A few days ago, we had someone in the back trying to set a fire," said Abraham Molina of Bonita Cleaners. "Police came out and investigated, and then we had another person try to cause a fire a second time on Tuesday."

Firefighters responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the blaze in the 1100 block of Hillsdale Avenue, near the Almaden Expressway.

Since the blaze was at a dry cleaning establishment, a hazardous materials team was called out. No chemical release was found and the scene was deemed safe, according to the San Jose Fire Department.

No injuries were reported in the fire.

The blaze was under control in about 45 minutes. The cause is under investigation.

The owner of Bonita Cleaners said that after 30 years of business it looks like his family-owned business is a total loss. 

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