Downtown Business Burns Twice In Two Months in Ind.

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. --

For the second time in two months, firefighters in a small town rushed to the scene of a burning business.

Monday morning, a blaze broke out at a popular pizza place on Main Street in Brownstown, Ind.

Less than two months ago, two shops in the same area caught fire.

I came straight here with my mom, seen smoke flames. A nightmare is what I want to call it, said Pizza Stop owner Leah Butler.

Before 9 a.m., fire crews and members of the community rushed to the courthouse square, where smoke was pouring from the Pizza Stop.

We started to call other departments for mutual aid and Seymour for their big aerial again so we could keep the other buildings from catching on fire, said Brownstown Fire Chief Andy Lockman.

They were able to keep the fire from spreading to the adjoining businesses using the aerial ladders.

A second floor apartment was vacant and no one was in the Pizza Stop when the fire broke out.

Next door to the Pizza Stop, crews moved furniture from the senior citizens center, which suffered smoke and water damage.

The damage to the Pizza Stop is extensive.

Its old and everything and with the inside structural damage Im afraid its not going to be savable, said Butler.

In August, two other businesses in downtown Brownstown were also destroyed by fire, B&R's Swap Shop and a local florist. That fire broke out during a thunderstorm and two firefighters were injured.

Monday, many of the same departments were on the scene.

As far as we know, no one has been hurt, not even the firefighters. Weve been really fortunate, said Lockman.

Butler said she plans to rebuild and is thankful for all the support.

It was mine and my ex-husbands only source of income really and we have two kids to raise. So its going to be tough, but its a small town, well make it through it, Butler said. Everyones been here. The town has been supporting us, coming down making sure were OK, phone calls, all morning long.

Six fire departments responded, as well as individual firefighters from other surrounding units. Up to 70 firefighters were on the scene.

The blaze took nearly three hours to put out.

No official cause has been determined, but the Butler said she believes it may be electrical.

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