An early morning fire destroyed the building on Highway 69 near New Hope that houses Fish and Blues Restaurant.
Lowndes County Fire Services Coordinator Neal Austin said a sheriff’s deputy reported the fire around 2 a.m. Friday after driving by it on patrol. District 3 rural firefighters responded and fought the flames for nearly five hours, he said.
“The fire got in the attic,” Austin said. “So it’s pretty much a total loss.”
The walls are still standing, but Austin said investigators are waiting for the remainder of the roof to collapse before entering the building and trying to determine a cause. At first, he said, he thought it might have been a kitchen fire, but now he thinks it’s more likely an electrical fire that started in the attic.
Austin said he does not suspect arson.
Fish and Blues announced Monday on its Facebook page it would be closed until July 12, so it has not operated this week. Austin said a salon also operated in a separate part of the duplex building.
The building was “probably built in the 1930s,” Austin said, and has housed several restaurants, a convenience store and other businesses throughout the years.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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