It may be a couple of months before Julie’s Cottage Kitchen in Dollars Corner reopens following a fire in the kitchen last week.
When exactly the family restaurant will reopen is unclear. Owner David Murray said he is talking with insurers about the damage and the needed repairs, and once he’s through that step, it may be eight to 12 weeks before he begins serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Despite the long road ahead, Murray said the restaurant is not seeking financial support.
“We just ask that people keep us in their thoughts, and look for info on us reopening in the future,” Murray said.
Assistant Clark County Fire Marshal Curtis Eavenson said Wednesday that the fire was an accident caused by an appliance. A flat-surface range ignited a fire inside a sheetrock wall. Over time, the oven transferred heat to the wall; Eavenson called it a common fire cause tied to “heat producing appliances.”
A Clark County Fire & Rescue crew responded at 4:36 a.m. to the restaurant at 21708 N.E. 72nd Ave., for a report of a commercial structure fire. Firefighters were there within minutes; Fire Station 26 is across the avenue from the restaurant.
Firefighters entered the smoky building and found a mostly extinguished fire in the kitchen area, Fire Chief John Nohr told The Columbian.
The fire was confined to the single partition wall, but heat damaged equipment throughout the kitchen. Flames and a climbing temperature activated the restaurant’s sprinkler system, but they also melted a water line that flooded the kitchen, Murray said.
The kitchen needs to be remodeled down to the wiring and plumbing, and the repairs have to be OK’d by inspectors.
Murray said he bought the restaurant in January 2017 from the original owner, who still works there.
“We’re basically family at this point. We’d all rather be working, so hopefully we’re open soon,” he said.
