GRESHAM, Ore. — The smell of smoke lingered behind Heidi's Restaurant in Gresham on Monday, after crews responded to a fire there early Sunday morning. Charred plywood and melted fencing hung off the backside of the Gresham landmark on Northeast Cleveland Avenue and Burnside Road.
Owner Sam Hinshaw said the fire destroyed several freezers and some equipment. Fortunately, crews put out the fire before it spread to the inside of the building, and no one was hurt.
"(Fire investigators) thought it to be intentional," Hinshaw said. "It's an unfortunate thing."
Gresham fire officials told KGW that the fire at Heidi's was one of several fires in the area reported Sunday morning and that all are under investigation.
Another fire started Sunday morning across the street from Heidi's at the Dragon Palace Restaurant. Owner Eric Lee shared security video with KGW that shows the fire burning several trees along the back fence. Cameras also captured a man walking in the area, but it was unclear if he started the fire. Lee said he has his suspicions.
"It's not good," Lee said. "There are lots of homeless people in the area. I don't know what he was thinking. He must have a problem."
For Hinshaw and other business owners, it's all a gut punch.
"We're strategizing how to not to be affected or spend gross amounts of money on thievery and arson," Hinshaw said. "It's tough."
A few years ago, Hinshaw said someone lit a fire in the restaurant's bathroom. He said the person had been loitering and was asked to leave before returning, disgruntled. Last week, he said someone stole equipment from a construction site next door.
"Someone ripped out our door trying to steal our ATM," Hinshaw said. "It's just kind of countless things that happen. It's just kind of never-ending, feels like."
Heidi's has been open for more than 50 years. While times are changing, Hinshaw said his focus remains on his employees, now out of work until the restaurant reopens. He hopes that will happen on Thursday. In the meantime, Hinshaw started a GoFundMe, hoping to offset his employee's financial burdens.
"I think that's just the biggest thing," Hinshaw said. "We want our employees whole. It's a tough situation for them not being able to work. Everything's really expensive right now, so it's difficult."