Vacant Bobby Salazar’s on Blackstone burns again — second fire in two years
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- The vacant Bobby Salazar’s on Blackstone Avenue caught fire again early Friday morning.
- Firefighters knocked down flames, stayed about three hours and reported no injuries.
- Prosecutors say Robert “Bobby” Salazar hired an arsonist, and his case is ongoing.
For the second time in two years, the vacant Bobby Salazar’s on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno caught fire early Friday.
Crews with the Fresno Fire Department responded just after 12:30 a.m. to the 2800 block of North Blackstone Avenue and found flames coming through the roof.
Firefighters knocked down the blaze and remained on scene for about three hours to ensure there were no hot spots, Fresno Fire spokesperson Josh Sellers said.
Firefighters also protected neighboring buildings from damage, Sellers said.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The same building caught fire in April 2024.
Restaurant founder Robert “Bobby” Salazar is accused in an arson scheme involving Bobby Salazar’s Mexican Restaurant locations in Fresno.
He has been charged with arson of a commercial property and arson in furtherance of a felony.
Prosecutors allege Salazar hired 40-year-old Thomas Qualls — identified by investigators as the president of the Screamin-Demons Motorcycle Club in Sanger — to set the April 2, 2024, fire at the Blackstone Avenue restaurant south of Shields Avenue around 1:30 a.m.
Qualls was arrested May 2, 2024, on suspicion of arson, though authorities at the time did not identify the restaurant as the target.
The location at 2839 N. Blackstone Ave., operated by a franchisee, was reportedly struggling before it closed in January 2024.
Salazar increased the property’s insurance coverage by $102,000 about a month before it closed, according to court records.
Records also indicate Salazar collected nearly $1 million in insurance money after the April 2024 fire.
Salazar’s case is ongoing.
