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Champions Pub damaged in fire
By Mike Stucka , Staff writer
Salem News
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PEABODY - A fire yesterday afternoon badly damaged a popular downtown Peabody hangout, Champions Pub.
No one was hurt as the three staff members tried to put out the fire and usher 15 to 20 customers out of the pub at 114 Foster St. Deputy fire Chief Paul Lynch said the fire began to spread through the rafters, between a drop ceiling and the roof.
Firefighters had to cut through the roof to stop the blaze from spreading to an adjoining three-deck apartment building.
Lynch said he did not know how long the restaurant would be closed. Attempts to reach the owners last night were unsuccessful.
Chip Murray of Lynn was eating lunch with his 21-year-old son, Chris, when he saw the cook cleaning the grill. He said he heard a whooshing noise, saw a grease fire get bigger, and continued eating with Chris and other patrons as the staff tried to put out the blaze.
As the restaurant got more smoky, patrons were so calm that one joked, "Can you smoke in here?" Chip Murray turned to his son and said with regret, "We're not going to finish this, are we?"
They didn't. The Murrays' steak-tip dinners were left behind as the staff evacuated the building shortly after 2 p.m.
Lorie Crean, a bartender at the sports pub for six or seven years, said Champions often prepares to-go orders for on-duty firefighters. Gazing onto the shut-down Foster Street, where firefighters were working around several fire engines and a ladder truck, Crean said, "I see quite a few customers here."
Apartment residents were let back into their building and the street was reopened by 4 p.m., about two hours after the fire started. More fire was discovered in the rafters around 5:15 p.m.
Lynch said the department's arson team will perform an investigation to look for the cause. The fire was primarily in the grill and the hood over the grill, he said, and the business suffered moderate to severe damage.
Yesterday, it seemed as if most of the firefighters had known the way to Champions Pub.
"Good steak tips," Lynch said.
By Mike Stucka , Staff writer
Salem News
View as a multiple pages
PEABODY - A fire yesterday afternoon badly damaged a popular downtown Peabody hangout, Champions Pub.
No one was hurt as the three staff members tried to put out the fire and usher 15 to 20 customers out of the pub at 114 Foster St. Deputy fire Chief Paul Lynch said the fire began to spread through the rafters, between a drop ceiling and the roof.
Firefighters had to cut through the roof to stop the blaze from spreading to an adjoining three-deck apartment building.
Lynch said he did not know how long the restaurant would be closed. Attempts to reach the owners last night were unsuccessful.
Chip Murray of Lynn was eating lunch with his 21-year-old son, Chris, when he saw the cook cleaning the grill. He said he heard a whooshing noise, saw a grease fire get bigger, and continued eating with Chris and other patrons as the staff tried to put out the blaze.
As the restaurant got more smoky, patrons were so calm that one joked, "Can you smoke in here?" Chip Murray turned to his son and said with regret, "We're not going to finish this, are we?"
They didn't. The Murrays' steak-tip dinners were left behind as the staff evacuated the building shortly after 2 p.m.
Lorie Crean, a bartender at the sports pub for six or seven years, said Champions often prepares to-go orders for on-duty firefighters. Gazing onto the shut-down Foster Street, where firefighters were working around several fire engines and a ladder truck, Crean said, "I see quite a few customers here."
Apartment residents were let back into their building and the street was reopened by 4 p.m., about two hours after the fire started. More fire was discovered in the rafters around 5:15 p.m.
Lynch said the department's arson team will perform an investigation to look for the cause. The fire was primarily in the grill and the hood over the grill, he said, and the business suffered moderate to severe damage.
Yesterday, it seemed as if most of the firefighters had known the way to Champions Pub.
"Good steak tips," Lynch said.