San Diego

A three-alarm fire early Monday at a Mission Gorge restaurant was caused by an employee who accidentally left food cooking unattended, firefighters said.

Firefighters were called to The Bake House, 10450 Friars Road, about midnight. When the flames began burning through the kitchen ceiling, the first firefighters on the scene evacuated the building and summoned reinforcements, said Larry Stewart, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department. About 100 firefighters eventually were dispatched to fight the blaze.

Although there were no injuries, a burning piece of facade fell and nearly hit one firefighter, Stewart said. He escaped injury when two other firefighters pulled on the hose he was holding, drawing him out from under the facade as it fell.

Two neighboring businesses, The Main Attraction and Troy’s Jr. Greek & American Cuisine, suffered ceiling and attic damage. Damage to The Bake House was estimated at $1 million.