Lamplighter lit — early-morning fire left restaurant’s kitchen in ruins
Early-morning fire left restaurant's kitchen in ruins
Photo by Clay Schuldt The Lamplighter fire left the kitchen in ruins, but smoke damage and soot cover the entire interior of the restaurant.
NEW ULM — An early morning fire ravaged the interior of the Lamplighter forcing the popular restaurant to close until further notice.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. New Ulm Fire Chief Paul Macho said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
An individual walking through the alley behind the building after midnight noticed smoke coming from the building and called the New Ulm Fire Department. NUFD dispatched the location at 12:49 a.m.
According to NUFD, the company found heavy smoke coming from the building on arrival. NUFD had the fire under control within 45 minutes. There were no occupants in the building at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Macho said his department and the New Ulm Police Department were on scene for approximately 3 1/2 hours. NUFD and NUPD were assisted by the State Fire Marshal.
Photo by Clay Schuldt The Lamplighter’s kitchen and waitress station was a total loss following an early-morning fire Friday.
Herb Knutson, owner of the Lamplighter, was reportedly out of town on vacation. General Manager Becky Portner said the kitchen and waitress station was a complete loss. The bar and restaurant side of the building are intact but sustained significant smoke damage. Layer soot covers all interior space and windows.
Portner said the Lamplighter will be closed until further notice, but they do plan to reopen. They are considering different options at this time.
In a Facebook post, Lamplighter thanked the person who called in the fire, the Fire Department and the staff for helping and asked the public to keep the restaurant in their thoughts and prayers.
