Update: TiGeorges' fire

It might take six to eight weeks before TiGeorges’ Chicken, the Haitian restaurant that was damaged in a fire last night, to reopen, according to a contractor hired to repair the Echo Park eatery. Meanwhile, owner George LaGuerre, whose restaurant became a hub of Haitian quake relief efforts, said he had to cancel an upcoming trip to Haiti that would have been his first since the January earthquake struck. “It’s painful,” LaGuerre said of the blaze.

The fire, which is believed to have been triggered by an electrical short, caused heavy damage to the attic and roof above the restaurant in the 300 block of Glendale Boulevard, said contractor Charles Bentley. In addition to Ti Georges’, several of the adjacent storefront shops – which share the building – were also closed today as owners assessed smoke and other damage. Letician Brea, one of the partners in the L’KEG Gallery next to the restaurant, said the ceiling and front door were torn apart as firefighters tried to gain access to the blaze. There was also smoke and water damage. It’s not clear when the one-year-old multimedia space would reopen. “We have no clue,” she said.