LAUREL, Del. - While first responders continue to fight COVID-19, they also are fighting everyday emergencies. Britt's Laurel Dutch Inn has sat on S Central Avenue since 1946. Monday night it went up in flames.
The Delaware State Fire Marshal says the fire was reported shortly after 10 p.m. Chief Jeff Hill says the Laurel Fire Department arrived on scene at 10:05 p.m. He says no one was inside at the time of the fire as the restaurant has been closed for a few weeks due to government restrictions and the ongoing pandemic.
"When I arrived on scene it had heavy fire and smoke showing from the south side of the building, which is the dining room area," says Hills. "The fire pretty much vented itself through the windows and the roof."
Hill says about 80 firefighters from Laurel, Delmar, Blades, Sharptown and Seaford Fire companies worked together to knock down the fire in 15 or 20 minutes and that they had it under control in about an hour and a half.
The state fire marshal says there are no injuries to report, but that the fire caused $500,000 in damages.
"It was the social gathering place for the people and the town of Laurel," says Hill. "The retirees could be seen around the counter in the coffee area, just catching up on the local gossip in the area."
Now loose and singed siding panels and a melted ice cream window reveal the ashes left inside as the investigators work to track down the fire's origin and cause.
"We're also being assisted by the federal bureau of alcohol, firearms and explosives has an agent on scene," says Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal John Galaska. "Structurally the building seems sound, but everything inside has taken damage."
The Laurel Dutch Inn posted on Facebook on March 19th that instead of doing takeout or delivery services, the restaurant would be completely closed during the pandemic for remodeling and cleaning. Chief Hill says that remodeling and the age of the building was something crews had to fight against.
"It just hampered the firemen from getting to the areas we needed to get to in the proper amount of time, so it just took an extended amount of time to actually extinguish the entire fire," says Hill.
Many people have posted on social media sharing their memories at the restaurant and saying how it will be missed. WRDE reached out to the restaurant on Facebook. The person who responded said they were thankful for the outpouring of love and support from the community.