Fire Destroys Columbia County Business

Orangeville, Columbia County - A popular Columbia County restaurant burned to the ground early Sunday morning.  Around 3AM fire firefighters were called to the Creekside Family Restaurant in Orangeville, but as Eyewitness News Reporter Shannon Murphy explains, their fast response couldn't save the building.

The Creekside Family Restaurant in Orangeville was a labor of love for Rodney Kyle, "that was my worst nightmare.  This has always been my dream."

Unfortunately a decade of hard work burnt to the ground in less than an hour Sunday morning.  Chief Kevin Boyd with the Orangeville Fire Department says, "They had a lot of flames and smoke in the back corner of the build and by the time we got here with our fire company was through the roof."

Firefighters did what they could to save the structure but the restaurant along with everything inside is destroyed, "If you've ever been in here before, I've had this place loaded with memorabilia. Trains running around the ceiling and it was just a great place for family," explains Kyle.

Frank Gough has managed Creekside since it opened.  He couldn't believe what had happened after such a good weekend of business, "We had a great night last night.  We had this thing called the trash bash where you get a meal on a trashcan lid.  We had so many people.  The place was filled up.  I'm just stunned at first and now just thinking about all the good memories."

The State Police Fire Marshall says the fire started in the back of the restaurant, which is near the kitchen. They said it could be days before they dig through all of the rubble to find an exact cause.

Kyle says he doesn't know if he will rebuild or not.  Although he lost everything, he's grateful this tragedy didn't happen during business hours, "Everything else is replaceable. Luckily nobody was here and nobody was hurt and I'm thankful for that."

One firefighter was taken to the hospital for a burn on his hands but the injury is not life threatening.