Japanee restaurant engulfed in flames

Allie Vollmer slept as her workplace was transformed into an inferno.

Vollmer was hired at the Japanee Japanese restaurant and sushi bar five months ago.

The restaurant went up in flames in the early hours of Monday morning, and a cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Vollmer walked out of Japanee after finishing her five-to-nine shift Sunday evening.

“I had a job less than 12 hours ago, and 7:30 (Monday) morning, I didn’t,” Vollmer said. “None of us really know what to do.”

The three-alarm fire shut down Walnut and Eighth streets early Monday
morning.

The Bloomington Fire Department responded to the fire at the restaurant at 320 N. Walnut St., across the street from Kilroy’s Sports Bar.

Traffic was redirected to Seventh Street until the road was reopened again at about 10 a.m.

The blaze, which consumed the back and left sides of the restaurant and front portion of the roof, was reported at about 7 a.m. Monday, BFD Chief Roger Kerr said.

There were no flames visible as smoke continued to rise from all sides of the restaurant at about 10 a.m. Nobody was in the restaurant at the time of the call.

Kerr said conditions worsened, and firefighters had to retreat and adopt a defensive strategy.

Firefighters worked throughout the morning to ensure all hot spots of the blaze were extinguished. Now preliminary efforts of the investigation can begin.

Vollmer was scheduled to return to work at 3 p.m. Monday.

At about 8 a.m. Monday, a Facebook notification to the IU senior’s phone changed her outlook for the next few months.

The notification sounded, and Vollmer rolled over, still half asleep, to check her phone. A friend had posted to Vollmer’s page inquiring about the blaze that was burning only blocks away.

Vollmer pulled up a search engine and attempted to find whatever she could.

She was in utter shock.

Having confirmed the fire, Vollmer sent a concerned text to her boss, offering support and her assistance wherever it could be used.

Her text was the first time Vollmer’s boss had been informed of the incident.

Her boss called her in response to the text message, frantically revisiting every motion of the previous night while she worked at the
restaurant.

It didn’t make sense. Everything had been done accordingly, she said.

“I think the last thing I did was say bye to everyone, told some friends we needed to go out this week,” she recalled. “I told them I’d see you tomorrow, same ol’ same ol’, and maybe a drink after.”

Vollmer said she is optimistic for the restaurant’s second comeback. It recently reopened after a remodeling job this summer.

“I guess that you don’t know what a good opportunity you have until it’s gone,” Vollmer said. “It’s good to build those relationships and have those times and memories with those people while you can.”

Jordan Littman contributed to this report