Fire erupted around 9:15 in the rear of the El Cortez Mexican Restaurant at 8230 Gateway Boulevard in Edmonton. People in the vicinity of the restaurant said they heard two loud pops, and then a plume of thick black smoke rose above Whyte Ave between 103 and 104 st.
The fire caused significant damage to a mural by Okuda San Miguel, located on the north wall of the Crawford Block, which was turned into a 5-story apartment building with commercial on the street level. The mural cost in excess of $120,000 to do and was finished on July 18, 2018, by Okuda and his team working round the clock for 6 days to complete the project.
The Restaurant was well known for it's mexican-style fare, and atmosphere, closed in January of 2025 for renovations.
The restaurant, which opened in 2014, has been closed for renovations since January 2025 (according to it's facebook page), when the fire broke out,is located in the building known as the Crawford Block and was built in 1912 and was designated a Municipal Historic Resource in 2014.
6 crews were called in for the fire, and Edmonton Police were also on scene for crowd and traffic control
The cause of the fire is not known but investigators have been on site since the fire.
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Photo taken 2 Hours prior to the fire |
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| Renovation sign in the window of the EL Cortez |
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| Damage to Okuda Mura can be seen as firefighters continue to fight the fire. |
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