UPDATE, 9:15 a.m., Oct. 30, 2020
Shortly before 7 a.m. Friday, an alert meat cutter for Colton’s Steakhouse and Grill called the fire chief and reported something he considered unusual and worthy of a check.
Rick Isley, the meat cutter at the restaurant, is a former member of the Batesville Fire Department. Isley told Batesville Fire Chief Brent Gleghorn that he smelled something unusual, and there seemed to be a haze around a light in the restaurant.
The Batesville Fire Department rushed to the scene and found a smoldering fire in a column near the corner of a dining area that was part of a recent addition to the restaurant.
Gleghorn told White River Now’s Gary Bridgman that firefighters were clearing some charred wood from the area, and the contractor who built the addition was already on the scene and would begin repairs as soon as the fire department left the scene. The chief said it appeared the fire might have started as the result of a failed neon light located near the column.
Gleghorn said what smoke was in the building had already been cleared, and he expected the health department to clear the restaurant for opening as usual on Friday.
BREAKING
The Batesville Fire Department was on the scene of a reported fire Friday morning at Colton’s Steakhouse and Grill on St. Louis Street.
According to Batesville Fire Chief Brent Gleghorn, when a restaurant employee arrived Friday morning, he smelled something unusual and noticed a haze around the lights. The employee called authorities, and firefighters were on the way.
After the BFD arrived, the chief said they discovered a small fire in a column in a portion of the restaurant. It looks initially as if a faulty neon strip might have been the culprit, but the chief said after his team clears the damage, they’ll have a better idea of how the fire actually started.
Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning by listening to Gary B. on Ozark Newsline, broadcast from the First Community Bank Newsroom on Arkansas 103.3. White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and Your FM 99.5. Have a news tip or event to promote? Email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Add don’t forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
