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Fire destroys Toco Hill Longhorn Steakhouse

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A popular DeKalb County restaurant was decimated by flames early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters said it was a two-alarm fire when they arrived at the Longhorn Steakhouse on North Druid Hills Road in Toco Hill around 1:30 a.m. They have been spraying water on it for the past 10 hours.

Firefighters say they wanted to use heavy equipment to peel back the roof because it caused issues this morning. They determined that destroying the walls could compromise their investigation.

Minutes after firefighters arrived to the scene this morning, something exploded. That explosion remains under investigation, but one firefighter told Channel 2 it was straight out of a movie saying that windows, door and walls came out during the fire.

Georgia Power crews cut off electricity to the area.

Knocking down the fire took three hours and 35 firefighters.

Jessica Purdy was leaving a nearby business when the fire erupted.

"I'm walking to my car and it just, literally, bursts," Purdy said.

Fire officials said they think the fire began in the back of the building, adding that the tin roof added to the difficulty of putting out the fire.

The manager said he's grateful no one was inside, and that he will work to get employees placed in other locations.