Toronto Fire Services responded to a three-alarm fire Thursday evening that has caused extensive damage to Sotto Sotto, the Yorkville restaurant famed for its popularity with celebrities.

“I’m devastated right now. I’m in a state of shock — I can’t believe this is going on,” Peter Catarino, co-owner of Spuntini, said. “Daylight will show us the extent of the damage, but (the building is) gone.”

Catarino was concerned that the building will collapse due to the weight of the restaurant equipment inside.

Spuntini Ristorante & Bar also operates in the same building. Fernando Esteves, the founder and co-owner of Spuntini, added in a statement that Spuntini has been closed since Tuesday and that Sotto Sotto was open on Wednesday. Esteves said there was catering work at Sotto Sotto on Thursday.

Catarino said that he got a call from his alarm company to notify him that the rear windows were broken. When he arrived, he saw the flames inside at called 911.

Approximately 20 fire trucks and 80 firefighters were trying to contain the fire as flames shot through the roof, a situation made worse by windy conditions.

Round, red Christmas ornaments floated down Avenue Rd., carried by the surge of water coming from the fire trucks on scene.

Emergency crews were called to the Avenue Rd. building at 7:24 p.m., according to a Toronto police spokesperson. The fire then quickly escalated and firefighters were ordered out by Toronto Fire Services division commander Bob O’Hallarn.

“Our crews were in there, and (the fire) was going through the ceiling and through the roof, and ceiling parts were falling down on them,” O’Hallarn said.

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One firefighter responding to the fire was treated for minor injuries.

The fire also spread from the roof of the restaurant building to the roof of an adjacent building on the south.

It is unknown how the fire started.

The eatery has hosted countless celebrity meals over the years, especially when the Toronto International Film Festival was centred on Yorkville. In one week alone during TIFF in 2009, stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Mary J. Blige, Bill Murray, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Smits and Ewan McGregor dined there. The year before, Brad Pitt, Lauren Graham, Edward Norton, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Jack White, Jimmy Page and U2’s The Edge were all seen at Sotto Sotto.

Toronto’s hip-hop superstar Drake mentioned the restaurant in his song “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2.”