The Depot Restaurant Fire - Vandalia, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 57.657 W 089° 05.871
16S E 318235 N 4314536
Burns down TWICE....Hummmm!!
Waymark Code: WMZHVV
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/16/2018
Views: 0
County of restaurant: Fayette County
Location of restaurant: N. 6th St., between W. Main St. & W. Gallatin St., Vandalia
"VANDALIA - Fire for the second time has claimed a downtown restaurant situated in a former train depot for the Illinois Central Railroad.
"Firefighters were summoned to The Depot about 1:45 a.m. Thursday and found smoke billowing from the roof when they arrived.
'"Within the first 15 minutes, the flames came through the roof, and the roof fell in," said Merle Adermann, chief of the Vandalia Fire Department.
"About three dozen firefighters, including those assisting from Brownstown and Ramsey departments, fought the blaze and were not able to clear the scene until 6:30 a.m.
"By that time, the restaurant was gutted.
'"We deeply regret the loss of this fine dining establishment in our downtown," Mayor Ricky Gottman said in a news release. "The building has been a mainstay in Vandalia for many years."
"Gottman said previous owners had also lost the business to fire on Labor Day 2007, and partners John and Mary Truitt and other members of the Truitt family had worked hard to rebuild and reopen the restaurant in March.
"The State Fire Marshal is working to determine the cause of the fire, and no dollar estimate of the damage was available." ~ Herald & Review, By THERESA CHURCHILL, November 19, 2010