ANAHEIM Community support poured in Saturday for philanthropist Bruno Serato after his iconic Anaheim White House, where he’s served more than one million free meals to needy children, was severely damaged in a pre-dawn fire. Some 60 firefighters from four cities knocked down the blaze in about 30 minutes after the call went out at 4:18 a.m., said Anaheim Police Department spokesman Daron Wyatt. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The restaurant, at 887 S. Anaheim Blvd., is closed indefinitely.

Standing at the scene, Serato, who took over the critically-acclaimed Italian restaurant in 1987, said he was devastated. “This is the saddest day of my life,” he said. “It’s just like the death of my mom. I’m heartbroken.”