CLEMENTS-

Smoke billowed from a building on Highway 88 in Clements early Tuesday morning.

What was once the La Strada 88 restaurant is now a soggy mess of soot and ash.

Chairs, tables, and even an $8,000 grand piano – ruined.

The scene is a far cry from the remodeled Italian restaurant many remember.

“They had a whole nice little counter in there where you made your own pizza,” customer Kandas Vaccarezza said.

The Clements Fire District got the call around midnight, Tuesday.

“We reported fire coming through the roof and we just started to attack the fire from the interior. It was up in the attic,” Clements Fire District Chief David Ingrum said.

Shortly after, crews had to pull out.

The ceiling collapsed forcing firefighters to attack the fire from the outside.

“We kept it from going into any other businesses and we saved it out of the two warehouses,” Ingrum said.

CFD called in seven other agencies to assist them with the three-alarm fire.

Investigators say it started in the kitchen and quickly spread to the attic.

The historic building was vacant for many years until it was remodeled and turned into a restaurant.

For those who ate there, La Strada 88 meant so much more.

“This is just a little dot on the road, this town,” Vaccarezza said. “Other than this little store and the post office there was nothing. It was nice to see that building occupied.”

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

Firefighters rescued eight cats from the building.