The Hideout Gutted in Fire

Owners Hope To Rebuild Business Soon as Possible

At approximately 2 a.m. on May 20, a fire broke out at The Hideout in Aptos. The sound of blaring alarms was reported, as flames engulfed the roof of the building.

SCR911 was contacted and the emergency call was ungraded to a confirmed structure fire. Several additional engines and a truck were dispatched to the scene from Central and Aptos/La Selva Fire Districts.

Due to the extent of fire in the building, and instability of the roof, an exterior or defensive fire attack was employed. Firefighters managed to contain the majority of fire to one area of the building. However, fire had spread through a common attic space and affected another business in the same building. Heat and smoke damage was evident throughout the building. Fire burned through the roof in several locations. The fire was extinguished with no extension to adjacent buildings.

According to the Aptos/La Selva Fire Marshal Mike Demars, the area of origin appears to be a storage shed attached to the exterior of the building. There is security footage that is in review to rule out any additional factors on the cause of the incident. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. The incident report states, “It appears to be unintentional.”

The Hideout employs about 50 people. Since the fire, they’ve seen an amazing response from the community wanting to help in any way possible. Many have taken it to social media to voice their love, support and what The Hideout has meant to them over the last four and half years.

The owners Dale Berman, Austin Welch and Pete Vomolakis plan to rebuild The Hideout as soon as possible. The community is actively rallying behind the Hideout and showing their support by setting up a Gofundme page to help with repairs and lost wages for the employees.

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For more information or to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/the-hideout-fire & www.thehideoutaptos.com