'It’s just like the death of my mom. I’m heartbroken': Chef mourns famed California White House restaurant after it goes up in flames in middle of the night

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A famed Anaheim restaurant was burned to the ground during a two-alarm blaze early Saturday morning. 

About 40 firefighters were called to the 800 block of Anaheim Blvd at 4am when the iconic White House restaurant went up in flames.

The family-owned Italian eatery was critically acclaimed and was known to have served more than 1million meals to the needy, the Orange County Register reported. 

Burned to the ground: The iconic White House restaurant was set on fire early Saturday morning in Anaheim, California

Before: The family-owned Italian restaurant was crtically acclaimed and had served more than 1M meals to the needy

Chef Bruno Serato, who has been running the place since 1987, addressed the incident in a heartbreaking post. 

'I am so sad to post this photo. [Can't] stop crying. We lost the Anaheim white house restaurant from a fire during the night..[No one] was hurt..I am devastated..for who made reservations the next 6 months. [We] need to cancelled it..for any groups or [banquets]. You still can call our off site catering that is still operating. I am so sad.'

He told the Register: 'This is the saddest day of my life. It’s just like the death of my mom. I’m heartbroken.' 

The blaze took 30 minutes to put out, but fire crews remained at the scene to monitor hot spots for three hours. No one was hurt in the fire and investigators are now looking into the cause.

Aftermath: The fire took 30 minutes to put out, but fire crews remained at the scene to monitor hot spots for three hours

Chef Bruno Serato, who has been running the place since 1987, has won awards for his work with the restaurant and said he could not 'stop crying' after the disaster 

About 40 firefighters from Orange County were called to battle the blaze

Serato believes the disaster could have been from an electrical fire that started while the second floor was being remodeled. Workers had been putting in new carpeting an hour before the restaurant went up in flames. 

The White House was set to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. The Italian chef had earned a spot in CNN's Top 10 Heroes in 2011 for his charity work with the restaurant. 

The popular white home that resembles the US federal office, was built in 1909 but was transformed into an eating establishment in 1981. It has hosted celebrities such as Danny De Vito, Andrea Bocelli and former president Jimmy Carter, according to its website. 

Serato believes the disaster could have been from an electrical fire that started while the second floor was being remodeled

The White House was set to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year and  has hosted celebrities such as Danny De Vito, Andrea Bocelli and former president Jimmy Carter