Antioch's Beloved ABC Rendezvous Bar Destroyed By Suspicious Early Morning Fire

ANTIOCH (CBS SF) -- A predawn fire Thursday roared through Antioch's ABC Rendezvous Bar, destroying the popular gathering spot and threatening other neighboring businesses.

Contra Costa Fire said it dispatched crews after receiving call of a fire in a commercial building on Walter Way at approximately 4:48 a.m.

Arriving crews encountered flames and smoke billowing out of the front of the building that housed the bar and other businesses. The intensity of the flames forced firefighters to attack the blaze from outside the structure. A second alarm was quickly called in at 5:12 a.m.

By 7:25 a.m., the fire was under control and crews were extinguishing hot spots amid the smoldering debris.

The flames were mostly contained to the bar, but spread to the roof and damaged an adjacent tenant in the building, while other tenants -- various auto-related businesses -- reported smoke and water damage, fire district spokesman Steve Hill said.

There were no injuries reported. Hill said the cause of the fire was under investigation and noted it was being characterized as suspicious.