Summit Inn, Historic Diner With Route 66 Legacy, Destroyed in Blue Cut Fire: VIDEO

OAK HILLS, CA — As a massive wildfire swept through Southern California Tuesday, countless lives were changed. For many, those changes will only temporarily affect life, but for some, the implications are far wider reaching.

Though there's not a current estimate for how many structures were destroyed in the fire in the first 24 hours, we do know that one major landmark suffered that ill fate. The historic Summit Inn was overrun with flames on Tuesday, and burned to the ground.

"It is with a very heavy heart that I share this picture of the Summit Inn and surrounding buildings," it was written on the diner's Facebook page. "It is beyond comprehension how this could possibly happen!"

Video from the scene shows the eatery — which has seen such famous visitors in the past as Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, and Pierce Brosnan — in flames.

Earlier Tuesday, the diner had posted an announcement that it was closed but said it would reopen when evacuations were lifted.

The Summit Inn was built in the 1950s and also housed an antique shop regularly visited by those who stopped over for a bite to eat.

"When you stop in to the Summit Inn, you can expect fast and friendly service, hot and delicious meals, close personal relationships with our staff, and meeting people from all over the world," the diner's website stated.

Image by ryan sharp on Flickr, Creative Commons