EMINENCE, KY (WAVE) - State Fire Marshal investigators are sifting through the rubble of what used to be a long-time bar and grill. The blaze broke out around 3 a.m. Sunday inside the Eminence Bar and Grill, located at 438 W. Broadway.
Firefighters are keeping tight lipped about what may have caused the fire. Investigators are still combing through evidence to pinpoint an exact cause. "Anytime we have a fire in any kind of commercial property it's protocol we call the State Fire Marshal's Office in to find cause of origin," Gary Lucas said, Eminence Fire Chief.
Forty-mile-per-hour wind gusts carried the charred scent of the burned down business for miles after flames gutted the hangout.
Regulars dropped by in disbelief Sunday to check out the aftermath. Most of the interior is destroyed and part of the roof collapsed.
"Makes me feel sad," Gale Dean Covington said, a self-described 'regular' of the establishment. "It was the only jukebox and pool hall in town. Now we don't have anything."
Neighbors say it's one of the few places around where you can grab a drink and bite to eat.
While Fire Chief Gary Lucas wouldn't say if the cause is suspicious, "We can't put our finger on it & say this exactly started it."
Neighbors like Covington have their own suspicions - of arson. "I've got a real good idea who it was," he said.
Firefighters will not confirm whether investigators suspect arson. It could take weeks before an official cause is determined.
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