Grant
Administrator
MINERVA -- Fire investigators believe spontaneous combustion caused a Monday morning fire that heavily damaged the Lucky Leprechaun restaurant, officials said.
The Main Street restaurant suffered extensive smoke and water damage and some fire damage in the blaze, which was discovered by a contractor working next door shortly after 10 a.m., said Minerva Fire Chief Robert Mueller. Mueller said it would likely be closed for repairs for at least a week or two, but the building was salvageable.
The restaurant was not open for business at the time. No one was hurt.
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Mueller said Essex County fire investigators determined the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion among cleaning rags that were piled in a metal pan on a shelf in the kitchen area.
He said it was unclear what substances were on the rags, but they were the only items in the area of fire origin that could have caused the blaze.
Mueller said Minerva firefighters were on the scene within four minutes of the call, which allowed them to keep the fire confined to the restaurant and keep it from getting into two attached buildings.
"It’s an old building, probably 150 years old," Mueller said. "If it had gotten into the walls it would have taken down all three buildings."
Firefighters from North Creek, Pottersville, Chestertown and Schroon Lake provided mutual aid to the Minerva Fire Department.
The Main Street restaurant suffered extensive smoke and water damage and some fire damage in the blaze, which was discovered by a contractor working next door shortly after 10 a.m., said Minerva Fire Chief Robert Mueller. Mueller said it would likely be closed for repairs for at least a week or two, but the building was salvageable.
The restaurant was not open for business at the time. No one was hurt.
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Mueller said Essex County fire investigators determined the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion among cleaning rags that were piled in a metal pan on a shelf in the kitchen area.
He said it was unclear what substances were on the rags, but they were the only items in the area of fire origin that could have caused the blaze.
Mueller said Minerva firefighters were on the scene within four minutes of the call, which allowed them to keep the fire confined to the restaurant and keep it from getting into two attached buildings.
"It’s an old building, probably 150 years old," Mueller said. "If it had gotten into the walls it would have taken down all three buildings."
Firefighters from North Creek, Pottersville, Chestertown and Schroon Lake provided mutual aid to the Minerva Fire Department.