SEE: SeaBreeze Tavern Unsafe For Occupancy After Fire

APTOS, CA — The SeaBreeze Tavern was deemed uninhabitable Monday night after a fire caused serious damage to the building.

There were no injuries reported.

The Central and Aptos/La Selva Fire Districts responded to the property at 101 Esplande at 9:40 p.m. to find the two-story building ablaze. Firefighters later determined the fire appears to have started near a storage pile in an alley behind the building, though the cause remains under investigation.

Crews initially struggled to arrive to the scene due to a highway off-ramp that was blocked amid repairs. Firefighters quickly discovered the inside of the building was quickly deteriorating and the fire had extended through the second floor and roof.

They battled the flames for hours, struggling to get control with "excessive amounts of storage" on the second floor. Firefighters used an aerial ladder to fight the fire above the roof and eventually gained the upper hand.

The apartment building 20 feet away was safe, as were other surrounding buildings.

Once a bar, the tavern lost its liquor license in 2016 following an 11-count complaint filed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.

The license revocation followed the 2015 arrest of owner Thomas "Rich" McInnis, 52, who lived above the bar and was accused of running an illegal cannabis dispensary in a back room of his business and selling fake state medical marijuana cards, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Lt. Kelly Kent said at the time. A bed sheet was used to obscure the dispensary.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.