Employees who worked at the mini mall watched in horror as flames consumed the buildings.
The building was located at University Avenue, just north or First and McKinley.
The fire was reported by someone who saw smoke coming from the roof around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Fire crews had to pull back because the building quickly became unstable and collapsed.
Fresno Fire spokesperson, Koby Johns said, "That was a really intense fire. It took us over an hour to bring it under control. We put almost a million gallons of water on it to bring it under control. We had the water department out here to boost pressure in the city in this particular grid."
Juan Bettencourt worked at one of the restaurants for more than 15 years. He said it's sad to see a piece of Fresno history go. "It's terrible for me; it's part of my life too. I've been here forever and hopefully it will come back again."
The building totally destroyed and the businesses that were a total loss include a laundromat, fish market, Thai restaurant and the Train Depot Restaurant.
The cost of damage is around #1.7 million.