Cisco’s Mexican Restaurant is destroyed in early morning fire

Cisco’s Mexican Restaurant at 925 S. Westlake Blvd. in Westlake Village caught fire early Wednesday morning. No one was injured in the blaze, but the restaurant suffered significant structural damage to its roof and will need to be torn down and rebuilt.

It may take nearly a month before fire officials determine the cause of the fire, according to fire department officials.

Fire Inspector Michele Faina said Engine Company 31 of the Ventura County Fire Department was dispatched at 3:40 a.m. to what was first believed to be a fire in the dumpster behind the restaurant.

Upon arriving, firefighters realized the restaurant itself was on fire. They upgraded the blaze to a first-alarm fire and called for additional engine support. After the restaurant’s roof collapsed, firefighters made no attempt to enter the structure.

Cisco’s opened in 1974 and is owned by former Thousand Oaks Mayor and City Councilmember Bob Wilson and his wife, Linda. The restaurant was in the midst of a remodel, Linda Wilson said. New hardwood floors, booths, carpets and paint were all recently installed and the project was expected to be done by the end of the month.

An attendant at the Mobil gas station across the street from the restaurant made the 911 call, according to Linda Wilson.

"Who knows how much more of the restaurant we would have lost if he hadn’t made that call," she said.

The Wilsons will continue to run their Cisco’s Mexican Restaurant on Avenida de Los Arboles in Thousand Oaks, where they will also continue their catering services.

––Daniel Wolowicz