Fire closes taqueria, 7-Eleven in Fresno, per county’s April health inspections

A Fresno 7-Eleven remains closed following an attic fire in a vacant barbershop at Blackstone and Ashlan avenues.

While firefighters kept the bulk of the flames contained to a single building within the shopping center, the back office of the convenience store was damaged, which allowed it to be flooded with smoke.

“Fresno Fire described facility as 50% visibility, with black smoke throughout store,” according to an April 2 report from the Fresno County Department of Health, which sends inspectors out following fires that affect food businesses. The store was ordered closed until the roof could be repaired and all food items and beverages properly discarded. The whole facility, including the floors, walls and ceiling, needed to be cleaned and sanitized before reopening.

A second business in the shopping center, La Perla Tapatia Taqueria, was also closed by the fire, according to the county’s monthly facilities closure report, which was released Wednesday.

Neither business has reopened, yet.

In all, health department inspectors ordered eight food businesses to close, at least temporarily, during the month of April. Those other businesses include:

• Skyline Club Bar and Grill, in Clovis. It was closed for one day following an April 1 inspection that found it operating without a valid health permit. The inspector also noted hot water at the facility was below the minimally required 120 degrees.

• Aerosports Trampoline Park, on Ashlan Avenue. It was also cited for a lack of hot water at its snack bar area. It was fully reopened within one day.

• Chicomostok, on Olive Avenue in the Tower District. The Mexican restaurant was closed after an inspector found gray water coming up through a floor drain. Gray water is the waste water produced from sinks, dishwashers and the like and can contaminate potable water, according to the health department. The problem was resolved in one day.

• Twins Bar, in Old Town Clovis. Following an April 14 inspection, the bar was closed while it submitted plans for a kitchen remodel. It reopened within a week.

• TC Fresh Meats Supermarket, on Belmont Avenue in Fresno. The market had an “active rodent infestation,” according to an April 30 inspection report. A May 1 re-inspection found the facility was “free of vermin” and the store was reopened.

• Highway 180 Café in Sanger, which remains closed after an inspection found high levels of E. Coli in samples of water from a well that services the commissary. The well must be chlorinated and retested, and all water lines must be flushed before the facility can reopen, according to the health department.

The health department also reported temporary closures of eight food businesses last month. That included six food trucks, the majority of which were closed because of a lack of hot water or equipment that could keep food at safe temperatures. All have since reopened.

According to data tracked by The Bee, 24 restaurants, mobile food vendors and markets have been temporarily closed for a day or more since the start of 2026.

How do county health inspections work?

The Fresno County Public Health Department has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor some 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county.

Inspectors make unannounced visits several times a year, but are also called out following fires (see this month’s reports) or changes in ownership or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public. This includes when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants (if someone sees a rat, let’s say).

These inspectors work through a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 items that can cause violation.

It can be simple and bureaucratic: whether the business has the proper license or permit or have submitted plans for a remodel (see Twins Bar, above ), or whether management and employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates on hand.

But it can also be things like the hygiene of individual employee, the temperature control systems (to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees) or sanitation.

Do the facilities do proper sterilization on counters, tables, utensils and cookware? What is the overall cleanliness of a building (are restrooms stocked with supplies, for example)? Are sinks and floor drains working properly?

Inspectors chronicle their findings in reports made available to the public in a searchable database online.

In most instances, problems can be fixed on the spot. That includes things like having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas; replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.

Serious violations, those that pose an imminent health hazard, will trigger closure and mandatory reinspections. This includes things like rat or roach infestations, refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth. Clogged sinks or drains, can also call for a closure, as contaminated water can back up into kitchens.

Ditto for hot water. This is one of the most common (and quickly fixed) reasons for closure. Most closures are temporary and last no longer than a few days.