The early-morning blaze destroyed a restaurant, theater and auto shop as investigators began searching the heavily damaged block for the fire’s origin.
SANTA CLARITA, CA — A three-alarm fire tore through a historic commercial block in Old Town Newhall early Monday, destroying several businesses and forcing more than 100 Los Angeles County firefighters into a defensive battle that continued for hours.
The Aug. 24 fire struck one of Santa Clarita’s best-known downtown blocks, damaging or destroying businesses that helped anchor years of redevelopment along Main Street. Newhall Refinery, The MAIN theater and Gary’s Auto Collision were among the properties hit. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department took over the investigation into the origin and cause, which remained undetermined Monday night. No fire-related injuries were reported.
Firefighters were called to the 24000 block of Main Street at about 2:55 a.m. after reports of smoke and flames coming from a one-story commercial building. The response quickly grew as flames moved through connected structures. A second alarm was requested at 3:07 a.m., and officials called a third alarm at 4:42 a.m. Firefighters pulled back from the burning buildings and used aerial ladder trucks to pour water onto the fire from outside. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials described the strategy as an effort to surround the fire and drown the flames while protecting buildings that had not yet caught fire.
The defensive operation became necessary as the fire weakened the older structures and created a danger of collapse. Video from the scene showed part of the front of a burning building giving way at about 5:45 a.m. Fire crews remained outside the most heavily damaged areas while large streams of water were directed onto roofs and through openings in the buildings. Assistant Fire Chief Pat Sprengel said the investigation was transferred to the Sheriff’s Department’s Arson and Explosives Detail at about 7 a.m., even as firefighters were still working. By about 8 a.m., the largest flames had been knocked down, but crews continued dealing with smoldering debris and unstable structures.
Officials said 112 firefighters and 58 pieces of fire apparatus were sent to the scene. A hazardous materials team also responded. Fire Department public information officer Keith Navarre said the blaze had essentially consumed the commercial building. Firefighters and investigators later used heavy equipment to move debris so detectives could reach areas buried beneath collapsed walls, roofing and other wreckage. The Sheriff’s Department said the size of the damaged area made the search for the fire’s starting point more difficult. Investigators had not announced a suspect or determined what caused the blaze by Monday evening.
Reports from the scene identified Gary’s Auto Collision as one of the first businesses involved, but authorities cautioned against drawing conclusions about where or how the fire began. Investigators had not officially identified the area of origin. John Wright, owner of Gary’s Auto Collision, spoke with investigators Monday but said he did not know what happened. Authorities kept business owners away from parts of the property because demolition and excavation work was still underway. Fire officials said several older buildings in the area were connected in ways that allowed flames to spread, including through shared attic space.
Among the most visible losses was Newhall Refinery, a restaurant that opened in May 2013 and became an early part of the city’s effort to reshape downtown Newhall into an arts and entertainment district. The restaurant described itself as Newhall’s first gastropub and regularly hosted dinners, celebrations and live music. Its owners said after the fire that they were still trying to understand the extent of the damage. They said the restaurant had become a gathering place for birthdays, first dates, family dinners and friendships, and they expressed an intention to rebuild when possible.
The fire also destroyed The MAIN, a performing arts venue operated by the city since 2017. The small theater had been used for plays, auditions, film screenings, meetings, exhibits and community events. Local arts groups regularly performed there, making its destruction a cultural loss as well as a property loss. An art exhibit inside the theater was also reported damaged. Nearby, the former El Trocadero restaurant property was destroyed. The Canyon Theatre Guild, another longtime performance space on the block, escaped the worst of the fire and remained standing.
The concentration of damage struck a section of Main Street that Santa Clarita officials have spent more than a decade developing as a downtown destination. Restaurants, theaters, boutiques, entertainment venues and community events helped bring visitors to an area that officials promoted as the Old Town Newhall Arts and Entertainment District. Just days before the fire, the area hosted one of the city’s regular block parties. The loss of several properties at once raised immediate questions about where displaced businesses and theater productions could operate and how long reconstruction of the historic block might take.
Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste called Old Town Newhall the root of the city’s history and said officials would work to preserve that history as the damaged area recovers. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes the Santa Clarita Valley, said the destroyed businesses represented years of work and the livelihoods of local owners and employees. Both officials focused their statements on recovery and rebuilding, but no timetable for reconstruction was announced. The full financial loss also had not been released.
The fire disrupted much of the surrounding neighborhood Monday. Main Street, Sixth Street, Eighth Street, Railroad Avenue and Newhall Avenue were closed as emergency vehicles filled the area. Smoke drifted over nearby neighborhoods while firefighters worked through the morning. The Newhall School District kept schools open but told families that students at campuses affected by smoke would remain indoors as a precaution. Businesses across the street also closed or faced limited access while investigators and fire crews occupied the downtown corridor.
By Monday afternoon, bulldozers and other equipment were moving through blackened debris while detectives examined what remained of the structures. Sheriff’s investigators interviewed people in the area as they began reconstructing the events before the fire. Authorities said the extensive destruction required careful excavation before investigators could identify the fire’s precise area of origin. Officials did not say how long that work would take or when business owners would be allowed full access to their properties.
Residents gathered near the closed streets throughout the day, watching smoke rise from a block many associated with restaurants, performances and community events. TimBen Boydston, executive director of the neighboring Canyon Theatre Guild, arrived before dawn after learning about the fire and found his organization’s building largely spared. He called the broader destruction a tragedy. Across Main Street, businesses posted closure notices as utility service and access remained disrupted.
For Newhall Refinery’s owners, the damage left both an immediate business loss and an uncertain rebuilding process. In a statement, they thanked firefighters, first responders and community members and said they hoped to reopen. City officials also said they wanted the damaged downtown area restored, though decisions involving demolition, insurance, permits and reconstruction will depend in part on assessments that had not been completed Monday.
As of Tuesday, investigators had not announced the cause of the fire or an official point of origin. The next major development is expected to come from the Sheriff’s Department’s Arson and Explosives Detail after investigators finish excavating and examining the damaged Main Street properties.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.