Wildfire Takes Out Iconic Route 66 Diner

A popular Route 66 diner frequented in its heyday by the likes of Elvis Presley and Clint Eastwood has gone up in smoke. The Summit Inn is the latest victim of the Blue Cut wildfire raging through California's San Bernardino County, the Los Angeles Times reports, destroyed by the blaze on Tuesday. The Weather Channel, which has images of the diner on fire and video of the aftermath, says firefighters entered the still-standing establishment as the fire neared on Tuesday, telling customers they had to get out; the diner was reduced to rubble just a few hours later. The Summit, which was built in 1952 and also served as a gas station and convenience store, was an "overlooked landmark," Larry Bohannan writes for the Desert Sun, "a kind of mile marker that told you where you were on your journey" between Victorville, Calif., and San Bernardino. (More California wildfires stories.)