Scenic-Drive In closes 'temporarily' following fire

Fast work by Modesto firefighters helped save one of Modesto’s iconic burger joints.

The Scenic Drive-In, home of the Knock Out Burger, suffered damage to the back of its building when a fire broke out Friday night, according to Randy Anderson, battalion chief of the Modesto Fire Department.

On Saturday afternoon, the drive-in remain closed and no one was on site. A sign in the window said the eatery was “temporarily closed” because of the fire, and red tape blocked access to the back of the building.

Firefighters were called Friday night to the nearly 60-year-old restaurant on Scenic Drive just west of Coffee Road on a report of fire coming from the roof.

When they arrived, they found flames on the back side of the small, one-story building. With fire having burned through a back door, fire crews entered from the front while others fought the fire in the back.

They quickly extinguished the blaze, which extended across the ceiling, Anderson said.

Damage was estimated at $10,000. Because it’s a restaurant, a Stanislaus County Health Department inspector was called in to assess the damage, Anderson said.

The restaurant opened in 1956. Modesto filmmaker George Lucas was said to have eaten there often when he was a student at John Muir Elementary School.

This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Scenic-Drive In closes 'temporarily' following fire."