A restaurant that's been a fixture of Armstrong for decades will be closed indefinitely after a fire tore through its kitchen area early Tuesday morning.
Joanne and Don Emmons purchased The Anchor Inn Pub in 2005, and 20 years later, the future of the business is up in the air.
"We're devastated and we're in shock, and so are the staff," said Joanne. "It's going to be a long, long process until I get some answers on everything with the insurance company."
The fire broke out just after 1 a.m. Aug. 19. Smoke was showing when crews arrived though there were no visible flames through the windows, Armstrong-Spallumcheen Fire Chief Rob Brown told The Morning Star Wednesday morning.
"We made entry and proceeded to fight the fire that was originally in the kitchen area," Brown said.
Firefighters ended up cutting through the roof, making openings so that the fire could be accessed. When that was done, flames could be seen shooting up through the openings in the roof.
Though the pub's exterior appears to be only lightly damaged, Joanne said the whole kitchen is a loss, with heavy fire damage and a torn-through ceiling. There is smoke damage throughout the building, as well as water damage.
"The city took a long time to turn the water off. It flooded the pub," she said.
"I'm 100 per cent closed for a long time," the pub co-owner added. "Obviously, I've initiated the insurance with Intact, so time will tell."
Brown said the cause of the blaze is under investigation. There was some speculation that it had been a grease fire in the kitchen but that's been ruled out. Joanne said the fire chief confirmed it was not a grease fire and everything had been turned off.
"They are going to investigate as we speak," Joanne said while sitting outside the pub Wednesday morning.
Asked how the business has treated them over the last 20 years, Joanne said: "It's been phenomenal. Our business is outstanding, our staff are outstanding, and the food we put out 鈥� the community is pretty choked, and I know we get business from all the way to Salmon Arm and 麻豆精选, and then tourists, too ... it's a big loss for us, for the staff, myself and my husband, and the community.
"I feel really bad for the staff. They need their jobs," she added.
No injuries were reported and no one was in the building at the time of the fire.
The fire drew a significant response, with 21 Armstrong-Spallumcheen firefighters, a fire engine, a quint and a rescue truck attending the scene. BX Swan Lake Fire Department was also called for mutual aid to add more manpower.
