Cancun, Q.R. — A restaurant in Cancun went up in flames in what reports are calling suspicious circumstances. Sunday morning, La Palapita restaurant in SM 249 was found fully engulfed in flames.
Some local residents tried to put the fire out with hoses and buckets of water, however, the fire was too far advanced for any of their efforts to be effective. City firefighters were notified of the blaze around 4:00 a.m. apparently not long after staff left for the night.
Within minutes of officially closing, nearby residents reported smelling smoke and seeing flames shooting from the front of the establishment. The main part of the restaurant, which was made of wood and palapa grass, burned quickly due to the dry conditions and strong winds.
There are reports of neighbors seeing two men on a motorcycle stopping near the restaurant at the intersection of Arco Norte Avenue and Lakin before smelling smoke and seeing flames. Cancun firemen were not able to save the restaurant, however, they were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to adjacent homes.
Authorities are still investigating an official cause for the early morning fire.
