OH Crews Spend Nearly 24 Hours Dousing Restaurant Blaze

Feb. 10—CONNEAUT, OH — A massive blaze that destroyed the former Golden Anchor Restaurant and Lounge kept firefighters busy from 5:35 p.m. Monday well into Tuesday afternoon, said Conneaut Fire Chief Steven Lee.

"[When] we started opening up the building we found a quite a bit of fire," he said.

Firefighters from Conneaut, Ashtabula, Springfield, Sheffield and Monroe townships assisted in battling the blaze. Lee said there were 33 firefighters on the scene.

"Water supply wasn't as good as we would have liked," Lee said.

He said the Sheffield and Monroe departments brought tanker trucks.

"They established a filling station at Broad and Pearl streets," Lee said.

Curious people gathered in cars at the Moose Lodge parking lot and outside Charlie's Deli to view the fire as flames and smoke billowed into the night air.

Lee said the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office. He said nobody was in the building at the time of fire, but there had been workers on site.

The building was being renovated to create a drive-through beverage service and a restaurant and bar, Lee said.

Conneaut Assistant Fire Chief Steve Sanford said the department appreciated all the food and drinks that were brought to the scene by community members.

Lee said firefighting crews were switched in and out throughout the night and into the afternoon on Tuesday. He said they were knocking down "hot spots" as they flared up.

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