A fire on Feb. 3 damaged a landmark KFC restaurant on Western Avenue in Koreatown.

A fire damaged the landmark KFC restaurant in the 300 block of North Western Avenue. Firefighters cut holes in the walls, including one near the rooftop image of Colonel Sanders, to gain access to the flames. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The fire was reported at approximately 1:15 p.m. at the restaurant at 340 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said the fire was accidental, but the exact cause remains under investigation.

Firefighters arrived to find flames spreading inside the building’s walls toward the roof. They cut holes on the exterior of the building to gain direct access to the flames, which were extinguished in 23 minutes. The restaurant remains closed.

“The challenge was that it required multiple fire lines,” Stewart said. “It’s not a standard building.”

The KFC opened in 1990 after franchisee Jack Wilke sought to create a building that paid tribute to Los Angeles’ Googie-style of architecture from the 1950s, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. Wilke hired architects Elyse Grinstein and Jeffrey Daniels to design the building, which resembles a bucket of chicken. Grinstein had previously worked under famed architect Frank Gehry.

Other design features include vertical steel fins, a second-floor balcony used as a dining area, and contrasting geometric shapes on the roof. Stewart said the fire caused approximately $50,000 in damage to the building, and $10,000 in damage to its contents.