Fire Damages Witt's Smokehouse Northwest of Effingham

Fire in a laundry room of Witt's Smokehouse caused significant smoke and electrical damage to the restaurant Thursday morning.

An automated alarm summoned the owners of the restaurant, located along Routes 32/33 northwest of Effingham, at 4:30am Thursday morning. Shumway's firefighters arrived shortly thereafter.

Fire crews said smoke was visible from a roof vent when they arrived and the owner had already discovered the source of the fire; a clothes dryer in the laundry room. The fire caused not only significant damage to the room, but also the electrical system for the building. There were no injuries. Estimates put the damage at about $50,000.

Fire crews were using fans to ventilate the building, but significant cleanup of the facility and electrical work will be required before they can reopen. A representative from Witt's Smokehouse told us late Thursday morning that Servpro was already in the building doing smoke and water cleanup, and she estimated 2-3 weeks before they could re-open.