“When we got here there were flames coming from the roof around a vent hood,” said Dayton Fire Department District Chief David Grubb.
When firefighters started trying to enter the restaurant to battle flames, part of the roof and vent hood were collapsing, which prevented crews from going inside.
An incident report from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said one 911 caller saw a lot of flames and smoke. Another caller said on their way to work, they saw what “appeared to be the beginning of flames” on the side of the building.
Instead, firefighters remained outside and started defensive fire operations, Grubb said.
No one was inside at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.
The roof was destroyed in the fire and Grubb said the building appears to be a total loss.
“This was kind of a fixture in the city,” he said. “Lots of fire crews have come here in the morning after work for many years. It’s sad to see it gone.”
The Legacy Pancake House opened in 2007 at the site of a former Golden Nugget location that had operated there since 1975. The family that owned the Golden Nugget sold the Keowee location to focus on rebuilding their Kettering location after it was heavily damaged by fire in 2005.
It’s not clear what caused Thursday’s fire. Fire investigators have not been able to get inside the restaurant to start their investigation due to the collapsed roof, Grubb said.
The fire closed North Keowee Street between Stanley Avenue and Leo Street.
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