DALLAS -- A three-alarm fire at a historic University Park burger joint destroyed the business and caused the evacuation of a shopping center early Friday afternoon.
University Park spokesman said the probably cause "is a cooking fire due to the buildup of grease in the grill ventilation."
Three alarms were called to the restaurant near Hillcrest and McFarlin by SMU, with approximately 80 firefighters showing up to the scene from the University Park, Highland Park and Dallas Police Departments.
Images captured by HD Chopper 8 above the scene showed smoke billowing out of the two-and-a-half story building. Firefighters went into defensive mode about 30 minutes in, UPFD Chief Randy Howell said during a press conference at 4 p.m., because crews were afraid of it collapsing.
Seven businesses near Goff’s were evacuated. No injuries have been reported, but several firefighters became overheated and had to be treated with IV's. Friday has been recorded as the hottest day of 2016 so far, with temperatures reaching at least 107 degrees.
Howell says they rotated the firefighters in and out to keep them safe.
Firefighters were seen spraying a fire truck at the scene. A UPFD spokesperson told News 8 the reason was to “redirect the flow of the water.”
Howell said the fire was coming from the area that vents the grease from the restaurant's kitchen. The flames have been difficult to access and moved quickly and horizontally through the building.
"It's a very difficult fire to put out. We'll be here for a long time to come," Howell said.
The building has stood in the area since 1924 and has undergone many add-ons over the years. It costs approximately $2.5 million.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Just after 11 p.m. crews began tearing down the building: