Fire ravages Bloomington businesses

A fire Wednesday afternoon gutted the Monroe County Pizza Department, 3890 W. Third St., destroyed several adjacent businesses and heavily damaged others.\nThe blaze, which started at the pizzeria, was only visible as smoke at first, though flames eventually leapt through the roof of the building and spread to other businesses in the strip mall, Bloomington City Fire Department Chief Jeff Barlow said. \nFirefighters received the call for the fire at about 3:40 p.m. and had it under control by about 4:40 p.m., Barlow said. Although no one was injured in the fire, two firefighters were taken to Bloomington Hospital for observation because of Wednesday’s high temperature combined with the heat from the flames.\nBarlow said he could not yet speculate on the cause of the fire because firefighters were still working to extinguish any remaining hot spots in the businesses. Crews on ladder trucks poured water on the smoldering structure from above the roofs.\nThe fire almost entirely destroyed the first three businesses in the strip mall. Little of what was left of the Monroe County Pizza Department was recognizable, aside from the charred walls and window frame. The roof had apparently collapsed in on the building. In the tobacco shop next door, the only remnant of the business was a charred and battered Skoal Chewing Tobacco sign hanging in the window.\nTrish Southern, the owner of Monroe County Pizza Department, said four employees were working at the restaurant when the fire began. \n“We were just getting ready to celebrate 15 years,” she said. “So much of me was in that building.” \nShe said she plans to rebuild the business, which usually employs about 17 people, as soon as she can.\n“Too many people are depending on me,” Southern said.\nJohn Dillard, 43, of Spencer, Ind., said he was standing in front of Labor Ready, 3850 W. Third St., when the fire broke out.\nHe said that when firefighters arrived and tried to cut a hole in the roof of Kent Deford Agency, 3866 W. Third St., the force of the smoke and built-up pressure was so strong that it knocked back the firefighter cutting the hole and blew off his helmet.\nDillard, whose van was parked in front of Labor Ready and blocked in by a fire truck, was one of several dozen onlookers taking in the destruction and watching firefighters finish their work.