The Malt Shop and Grill and adjoining Chicken & Rib House at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds were consumed by a fire early Wednesday morning.
Flames destroyed much of the property inside the single metal building, and owners Betty and Larry Bowman said they’re unsure how they will recover.
“To rebuild and restock … everything is gone,” Betty Bowman said. “We’d like to return, but right now, financially, it’s looking hard.”
Firefighters were dispatched to 17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield, about 3:30 a.m., according to emergency dispatch logs.
A caller told dispatchers the fire was in an outbuilding, Fire District 6 spokesman Dave Schmitke said in a video posted on Facebook.
As fire crews approached, they could see flames from Interstate 5, Schmitke said in an email.
Firefighters found the building that houses the two food vendors engulfed in flames.
Three fire engines and one squad from the fire district spent about 20 minutes extinguishing the blaze. Two engines from Clark County Fire & Rescue also helped fight the fire.
“While the fire was not necessarily large, it burned very hot — severely warping two steel girders. The building is destroyed,” Schmitke said.
The Clark County Dairy Women building next door — famous for its milkshakes — suffered slight damage but was saved, said Clark County Fair Chief Operations Officer Donna Dowdy.
Clark Public Utilities shut off power at the scene while officials investigated the fire’s cause, which is currently unknown.
There were no reports of injuries.
Fair staple since 1974
The Bowmans have operated the malt and chicken shops out of the now-destroyed building since 1974, Betty Bowman said hours after the fire.
They served numerous options out of the shops beyond what the names would imply — ice cream, Mexican food, breakfast. It was one of the only options at the fair for breakfast, Betty Bowman said.
Betty Bowman said both booths would serve about 1,000 hungry fairgoers on busy days — lines of customers would extend away from the registers.
More important than the financial success, Bowman said, was the owners’ standing among Clark County residents.
“A lot of booths have come and gone. We’re really proud to be part of this community,” Betty Bowman said. “We’ve had generations work here, from kids to their grandmothers.”
As many as 75 people would work at the shops during the 10 days of the fair, she said.
But the Bowmans find themselves unsure of the future.
Everything from larger items, including an ice cream machine and fryers, to smaller ones like cooking utensils were damaged beyond recognition. The fire burned so intensely it melted refrigerators.
The equipment was not insured, Betty Bowman said. No insurance companies are willing to risk insuring old equipment, she said.
“It was always a gamble, but we were stuck,” she said. “We always hoped and wished nothing bad would happen. But now, look what happened.”
Betty Bowman is 70; her husband is 67. The couple are retired. The shops were their sole source of income.
“At this point, I don’t know physically how much we can do, or what the right move is,” Betty Bowman said.
Clark County Fair Manager John Morrison said the structure was insured, and Clark County risk managers are looking into what will be covered. His immediate concern is getting the site cleaned up.
Morrison also needs to find a replacement vendor. He said the shops, particularly the Chicken & Rib House, served as a major part of the fair’s ability to accommodate hungry people, even with 48 booths on the fairgrounds.
“I’ll have to fill that gap,” he said.
It’s unlikely a long-term replacement will emerge in time for the Home & Garden Idea Fair on April 27-29. The two destroyed shops opened for business during events year-round.
Further out, the annual fair will need new food options. Morrison said the Bowmans’ eateries had an identity associated with the fair, and replacing them may prove difficult.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the Bowmans replace the lost equipment, https://www.gofundme.com/bowman-family-fair-business-fire?member=67644.
