Lone Star Cheeseburger Food Trailer Burns

The Lone Star Cheeseburger trailer in the parking lot of the Eskimo Hut, 333 West Beauregard Avenue, caught fire this evening just after 7:30 p.m. Fire Station #1 is close by, arrived quickly and performed what firefighters call a “fast attack.” Flames were extinguished before we arrived.

We reached Lone Star’s Tim Condon who had just arrived at the scene from a catering gig at the Cactus Hotel. He said his food trailer is insured and, “I’m more worried about the Eskimo Hut.”

Firefighters are concerned about the propane tanks in the trailer that supply the gas to cook the delicious burgers. Condon said they were just voted for serving "the best food truck burger in Texas."

Firefighters are clearing the area, to include blocking Beauregard between the Bryants, S. Abe and Koenigheim.

Update 9:37 p.m.

About 14 firefighters fought the food trailer fire utilizing what Fire Marshal Ross Coleman said was “full suppression.”

“When the firefighters arrived, the trailer was fully involved,” he said. In laymen’s terms, “fully involved” means that flames had engulfed most of the trailer.

“It looks like they were cooking and a grease fire got out of control,” Coleman said. When the fire first broke out on the indoor stove, staff attempted to suppress it by pouring salt on it, but it was too late. “They were open for business at the time and had staff there,” Coleman said. But Coleman was not sure if there were any customers dining underneath the outdoor awning in front of the food trailer. Lone Star has a brisk take-out and delivery business.

The structure of the adjacent Eskimo Hut suffered some damage. The north side eves of the building show damage from the flames.

Power was cut to the Hut as well as the food trailer, Coleman said. Now that everything is under control, the fire department restored power to the Eskimo Hut so that it can remain open.

“To be on the safe side, we’re cooling [the trailer] off, and we’re going to wash it down one more time to make sure we have nothing rekindle in there,” he said.

Angry Cactus Survives!

Owner Tim Condon was on scene the entire time. He will be securing the building after the fire department leaves. Condon is preparing to build-out a new restaurant called The Angry Cactus. The signature signage of the new restaurant met resistance last year from the City of San Angelo’s Downtown Design and Historic Review Commission.

In arguing his case, Condon commissioned an artist to create a mockup of the Angry Cactus that is proposed to adorn the entrance to the new restaurant. After six months of arguing with the commission over the look and size of the Angry Cactus statue, Condon won and received approval to use the cartoonish and "kitsch" statue.

The mockup, the only relic that remains from last year’s political fight over signage, was stored inside the trailer.

It survived! See pic: