A fire Thursday night destroyed a restaurant in downtown Mountain Home in what officials called a "total loss."
Mountain Home Fire Department Capt. Darrin Peoples said a crew answering a separate call spotted the fire around 10:40 p.m. inside the Olde Tyme Restaurant on the Square.
The blaze started on the small second floor of the building, Peoples said, so firefighters initially battled the flames from inside the building. It wasn't long before they realized the second floor was going to collapse, Peoples said, so crews moved outside.
The captain said the fire was put out in about two hours, but crews remained on scene for another two or three hours to put out hot spots and ensure nothing would reignite. No injuries were reported.
No other buildings were damaged by flames, Peoples said. He said immediately adjacent buildings may have sustained minor smoke damage.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Olde Tyme Restaurant on the Square served breakfast staples as well as sandwiches, "hot plates" of foods such as liver and onions, and chicken fried chicken as well as homemade desserts.
State Desk on 11/04/2019