Downtown Cotati restaurant damaged in early morning blaze

A fire early Saturday morning caused about $100,000 in damage to a downtown Cotati restaurant, fire officials said.

Fire crews were dispatched at 5:38 a.m. to the blaze at the Hot Spot, on the 8200 block of Old Redwood Highway, said Mike Weihman, Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District battalion chief.

“Somebody saw smoke coming out of the roof vents and saw orange in the windows,” Weihman said. “Unfortunately, there were no sprinklers, there were no fire alarms, so it was probably burning for some time before it got called in.”

Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes, aided by the fact the district’s Cotati station is two blocks north of the restaurant, Weihman said.

The Hot Spot, which opened in February 2014 and is known for its comfort food, caters to late-night diners, with doors open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is located in a structure that housed four different businesses, but the majority of the damage was limited to the Hot Spot.

“The fire is mostly in the attic space,” Weihman said.

No cause has been determined for the blaze, Weihman said, adding there’s no evidence of arson.

The building is in escrow pending a sale, and one of the businesses, Companey’s Ice Cream Cafe, had its last day of operation on Friday, Weihman said.