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Fire heavily damages Cloverdale Arby’s
CLOVERDALE -- The entire dining area of the Cloverdale Arby’s was destroyed in a Friday-morning fire that kept several area fire departments on the scene for more than five hours.
Fire units from Putnam and Owen counties, including Cloverdale Township, Greencastle, Jefferson Township, Putnamville Correctional Facility, Poland, Cataract and Owen Valley, battled the blaze beginning shortly after 7 a.m., with some units remaining on scene past noon.
On his way to Greencastle, sheriff’s department Reserve Deputy Rick Lambert spotted the smoldering building around 7 a.m. Lambert got out to investigate and notified 911 dispatch.
Lambert and Deputy Virgil Lanning remained on the scene directing traffic even after firefighters’ arrival.
No employees were present at the 1016 N. Main St. location, with the restaurant not set to open until 10 a.m.
Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Steve Walters said it appears the fire started in the souteast corner of the building, which was the most heavily damaged area.
The walls in the southeast corner partially collapsed, with the roof collapsing over the entire dining area in the east half of the building.
Investigators believe the fire either began in the building’s wiring or possibly with a lightning strike. Walters said there were reports of lightning in the area around 5:30 a.m.
Walters said one of the challenges of fighting a commercial fire is the voids and spaces that exist in the ceilings.
“Our guys did a helluva job cutting off the fire,” he said.
They did so from outside, inside and even from above by utilizing Greencastle’s aerial truck.
With much of the fire knocked down shortly before 10 a.m., fire crews called in an excavator to remove portions of the collapsed roof and regain access to some of the most heavily damaged portions of the building.
Two responders were injured at the scene. One Greencastle firefighter became overheated and was taken to Putnam County Hospital and later released. A Poland firefighter sprained an ankle but did not seek treatment.
The kitchen area was not directly impacted by the fire, but did sustain damage due to smoke, heat and water.
Arby’s representatives remained on the scene Friday afternoon to secure the building.
The fire remains under investigation.
Other responding agencies included Operation Life, Duke Energy and Vectren.
