photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Flames erupt through the roof of Cielito Lindo, 815 New Hampshire St., on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in downtown Lawrence.

The cause of a fire last month that destroyed a downtown Lawrence restaurant has been classified as “undetermined,” according to a news release Friday from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, and no further investigation at the site will occur.

The release said that the late-night Dec. 13 fire originated in the kitchen area of the restaurant at 815 New Hampshire St., which investigators could determine by using a crane and gaining limited access; however, the investigation had to be paused on Dec. 20 following an additional structural collapse near the kitchen in the mid-1970s building.

A fence has been erected around the burned-out building because of the possibility of further collapse — a safety hazard that has also “hampered the ability of LDCFM and private fire investigators to access the interior of the structure,” the release said.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Cielito Lindo at 815 New Hampshire St. is pictured on the afternoon after Thursday’s devastating fire.

On Tuesday, it was determined that no further scene investigation would be conducted on the site “due to the extent of damage to the structure and safety concerns,” according to the release.

As the Journal-World reported, the Historic Resources Commission unanimously approved the demolition of the building, and the Lawrence City Commission agreed based on the declaration by the city’s building code official that the building is “unsafe and dangerous.”

Cielito Lindo was a 5,500-square-foot, two-level Mexican restaurant with a fenced patio. It had been in downtown Lawrence since 2006.

It was opened by co-owners Jose “Pepe” Lopez, David Valadez and Dionicio Zaragosa, all natives of Mexico. Before 2006, the building was home to other eateries and nightspots, including Dos Hombres, Raoul’s Velvet Room and EightOneFive.

The building housing Cielito Lindo has been owned by a group called Lawrence 2004 LLC since 2004.

The fire began shortly before midnight on Dec. 13 and was extinguished by 7 the following morning.