PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The “heart and soul” of a Northwest Portland neighborhood is closed indefinitely after a natural gas-fueled fire struck Caffe Mingo and its neighboring Barba Mingo early Monday morning.

“With great sadness, we announce the closure of both Caffe and Barba due to a fire in the restaurants. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the restaurants sustained major damage. At this point, we will be closed indefinitely while we navigate the aftermath. The Mingo family is eternally grateful for your love and support during this difficult time,” the restaurants announced.

Just before 5:20 a.m. Monday, Portland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene -- on Northwest 21st Avenue -- where they found the restaurant’s windows blacked out from smoke, and smoke coming from the roof.

Multiple crews worked to extinguish the fire inside the building as firefighters from a ladder truck and a heavy rescue squad cut ventilation holes on the roof.

PF&R said they found fire in the roof and discovered the blaze extended into a rooftop HVAC unit.

PF&R extinguished the fire around 6 a.m. after a total of 30 firefighters responded to the scene with no injuries reported.

Caffe Mingo and Barba Mingo General Manager Brett West told KOIN 6 News he was on a plane about to take off from Portland for a family reunion when he got a call from the restaurant’s alarm company saying PF&R was on the scene. Before takeoff, he was able to get in touch with the restaurant's owner and their employees.

After landing, West explained, “I started getting messages from [Caffe Mingo and Barba Mingo employees] with photos of the inside of the places and it did not look good.”

West said it was "jarring" coming back to the restaurants on Friday -- seeing soot inside the buildings and windows boarded up.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire, but West said it appears to have started in the back of the kitchen before spreading through the HVAC system and into Barba Mingo, with the front of both businesses suffering major smoke damage.

At this point, West said they do not know how much repairs will cost or if they will rebuild the restaurants but said the community support in the aftermath has been “overwhelming.”

Between Caffe Mingo and Barba Mingo, West said there are about 35 employees, noting “everybody was incredibly emotional and sad” when they heard about the fire.

“This place is pretty special to the neighborhood people, but to the people that work here too. We have a lot of a lot of employees who have been here for years,” West said. “That was a big loss for a lot of people.”

In a show of support, some of their regulars started a GoFundMe fundraiser, with GoFundMe organizer Sarah Bell saying she was "heartbroken" when she heard about the fire.

"Mingo is the heart and soul of the NW neighborhood. So many people have had first dates, birthdays, and anniversaries at Mingo over the years. It is a cherished establishment that brings the community together for fabulous food, wine, and company," Bell said. "We wanted to do something to help out the staff while they navigate this challenging time."

“The community outreach has been incredible and heartwarming," West said. "I know this place is a lot of special memories for a lot of people. I've done a lot of great events here -- wine dinners, rehearsal dinners, we've had engagements here, we've had weddings here -- it's just been a special place for a lot of people.”