The owner of the building housing Lettuce restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek said Wednesday, Aug. 19, he plans to rebuild after a morning fire burned through the roof and drew a major response from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Dave Bowie, identified by Patch as the property owner, called the damage "devastating" to the restaurant tenant in an interview with KRON 4 on Wednesday. He said the property is insured and he would rebuild as soon as he can.

The fire broke out shortly after 8 a.m. at Civic Drive and Locust Street after employees heard popping sounds and smelled smoke, then evacuated the building. ConFire crews arrived and found flames already on the roof.

Eight engines and more than 30 firefighters responded to the one-alarm blaze. Crews spent several hours bringing it under control.

No one was injured.

ConFire returned to the scene at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday after reports of smoke coming from the structure. Crews were monitoring for hot spots and investigating the cause of the fire, which had not been determined as of Wednesday evening.

As we reported Aug. 19, the fire forced an evacuation of the restaurant during morning hours.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No timeline for repairs or reopening has been announced. Residents with information about the fire can contact ConFire at 925-941-3300.