Mark Wahlberg is setting the record straight on the fire that broke out at his Las Vegas restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The Union actor, 53, confirmed that it was a firepit malfunction that caused a fire on the patio of Flecha Cantina in an interview with TMZ Live, joking that it made his restaurant the “hottest restaurant in the world.”
Wahlberg clarified that despite footage of the fire on social media seemingly showing the indoor area of the restaurant being scalded, it was just a reflection coming off the window. The fire only caused minor damage, and the restaurant’s grand opening was only delayed about an hour, with the rest of the evening going as planned.
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The Clark County Fire Department backed Wahlberg’s account of the events in a press release, saying that first responders responded to a report of a fire on the restaurant’s patio around 5:30 p.m. Sprinklers had been activated and the restaurant had been evacuated when the fire department arrived, allowing firefighters to shut off the propane tank on the fire pit. The restaurant reportedly resumed business at 7 p.m.
The day after the fire, the Boogie Nights actor hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restaurant. “Amazing grand opening last night,” Wahlberg wrote on Instagram on Nov. 7. “It’s the hottest restaurant in Vegas.” The star also included a video of himself answering phone calls at the restaurant, confirming to one customer that there’s “no fire, we’re good, we’re open for business.” He added, “I’m holding it down for you ’til you get here.”
Wahlberg also has a Flecha restaurant in Huntington Beach, Calif. In 2022, Wahlberg moved from California to Las Vegas with his wife, Rhea Durham, and their four children. In June, Wahlberg told Fox News Digital he wanted to expand his restaurant business so that people could “feel like they’re at home” in his establishments.
“I want… them [to] have the most amazing experience they’ve ever had in a restaurant. I want them to feel like they’re at home, that they are doted on and spoiled,” the Arthur the King star shared. He continued, “I’ve sent a lot of people in unannounced to really kind of see what the experience is like. I have an amazing staff, amazing team. And we are a family, we want to share our family experience, and that really translates. So come in, have an amazing experience with the food, the hospitality, drinks, just having fun. It’s an experience that you want to have over and over again.”
