FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. — A popular beachfront restaurant in Flagler Beach is assessing the damage after an early morning fire on Monday.

What You Need To Know

  • Flagler Beach Fire Department officials responded to an early call about a structure fire at The Turtle Shack Café on A1A

  • Fire Chief Bobby Pace said no one was injured in the fire but described the damage as significant, especially in the kitchen area

  • The Kitchen Manager at Java Joint Beachside Grill – a neighboring restaurant on A1A – says she saw the fire when she came in to work and immediately called 911

  • Containing the fire was a joint effort between the Flagler Beach Fire Department, the Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department, according to a Facebook post from the FBFD

  • The owners of Turtle Shack have set up a GoFundMe to raise money following the fire

Flagler Beach Fire Department officials responded to an early call about a structure fire at The Turtle Shack Café on A1A. 

Fire Chief Bobby Pace said no one was injured in the fire but described the damage as significant. “It’s significant in the kitchen area, in the rear of the building itself,” he said.

The damage is visible in the back of the restaurant and parts of the roof.  

The Kitchen Manager at Java Joint Beachside Grill — a neighboring restaurant on A1A — said she saw the fire when she came in to work and immediately called 911.  

“I get to work about 6 and I’d seen smoke, black smoke coming out of what I thought was a condo and turned out to be The Turtle Shack was on fire. So, I called 911, and they came about 5 minutes later,” Tonya Cox said.

A picture taken by Cox shows the flames and smoke coming out of the building in the early morning hours. 

Containing the fire was a joint effort between the Flagler Beach Fire Department, the Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department, according to a Facebook post from the FBFD.

Chief Pace said they are investigating what started the fire. 

“What we’re looking at now is somewhere in the cooking area, the stove area, but that’s still being inspected by a local fire inspector here for Flagler Beach and the chief building official.”

Neighbor Leslie Donahue took photos of fire crews responding quickly to the scene.

Chief Pace said the fast response prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring properties. 

“Fire crews, both from Flagler Beach and Flagler County, did an excellent job with fire suppression, with these other businesses and buildings in close proximity. They protected these exposures,” he said.

Cox said they feel for the owners and the employees impacted. “I’m praying that everything turns out okay, and it’s not a complete loss, and they can reopen.”

The investigation into what started the fire is still ongoing. Fire officials said after it’s complete, the building will be left with the owners to work with their insurance company and see where they go from there.

The owners of Turtle Shack have set up a GoFundMe to raise money following the fire.

GoFundMe.com, or any other third-party online fundraiser, is not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how GoFundMe works and its rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.