State fire marshals and local officials are investigating a suspicious blaze that caused serious damage to a restaurant on Martin Luther King Drive in Atmore, according to Atmore fire officials.

Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles said the former Flamingo Terrace restaurant was set on fire two times within a week, once on Dec. 27, 2015, at 6:51 a.m. and the second on Jan. 3, 2016, at 5 a.m.

“On the first attempt, it was minimum damage on one of the corners there,” Peebles said. “Our guys did a good stop on it.

“The second time they did a pretty good job with it,” he said.

Peebles said those who set the restaurant, now called Jenny’s Soul Kitchen, on fire used gasoline as an accelerant.

Peebles said the fires are under investigation by the marshal’s office, adding that it is an obvious arson case.

The restaurant isn’t open for business, and the investigation is also being handled by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Those with information in regard to the investigation need to contact the sheriff’s office at 251-867-0304 or the AFD at 251-368-9156.