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Fire damages downtown businesses in western Michigan city

generic fire truck.jpeg
Posted at 12:12 PM, Mar 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-20 12:12:32-04

HASTINGS, Mich. (AP) — Fire gutted a restaurant and damaged nearby businesses early Sunday in a western Michigan city’s downtown area.

Firefighters needed several hours to put out the blaze in downtown Hastings that was reported about 3:30 a.m. when a police officer spotted it at Vinnies Woodfired Saloon, WOOD-TV reported.

Crews had to tear down part of the building to extinguish the fire, which also caused fire and smoke damage to at least three other businesses in the city about 30 miles southeast of Grand Rapids, Deputy Police Chief Julissa Kelly said.

No injuries were immediately reported and no one was believed inside the restaurant when the fire started, Kelly said. Investigators believed the blaze might have started from a wood-fired oven that is typically left burning.