LLEWELLYN - Flames destroyed a former restaurant along Route 209 in Branch Township late Sunday night.
Firefighters from Llewellyn and surrounding areas were called at 11:50 p.m. for a structure fire at the former China Inn at 1357 Bunting St., Route 209, and found heavy smoke and flames inside the two-story building.
Llewellyn fire Chief Michael Pothering said flames were visible from the second floor front of the building and smoke was billowing from other parts of the building when crews arrived.
"There was heavy smoke all over the place," Pothering said standing outside the charred remains of the former restaurant Monday morning.
Pothering said crews from numerous communities used two ladder trucks, one from Pottsville and the other from Minersville, to battle the blaze, finally bringing it under control about 3:20 a.m.
He said firefighters knew a nearby fire hydrant had not been working properly and decided to immediately bring in a tanker task force to shuttle water from the a swimming pool to portable dams set up at the fire scene.
Kuan Cheng, Lebanon, co-owner of the business, said he bought the building in 1983.
The building had electrical service, but no heat or water, Cheng said.
Cheng said he closed the restaurant about five years ago and added the building was completely unoccupied, both the restaurant and apartments on the second floor.
Cheng said another restaurant he owned in Lebanon, also called the China Inn, burned down several years ago.
"Maybe someone doesn't like me and they know I had this place," he said, adding that the Branch Township building was not insured.
Paul R. Strenkoski lives behind the restaurant and called 9-1-1 after discovering smoke coming from the building. He said when he discovered the blaze, flames and smoke were coming from the south east corner of the second floor.
Within minutes, heavy smoke began billowing from other portions of the structure, Strenkoski said.
Trooper John F. Burns, state police fire marshal, arrived at the scene about 10 a.m. to assist local fire officials in trying to determine how the fire started.
Due to the heavy damage and collapsed ceilings, finding an exact cause may be difficult, Pothering said.
Along with firefighters from Llewellyn volunteers responded South Cass, Summit Station, Pine Grove, Heckshersville, Joliett, Phoenix Park, Friedensburg, Mount Carbon, Schuylkill Haven, Deer Lake-West Brunswick Township, Newtown, Landingville, Minersville, Branchdale and Minersville.
Newtown and Mar Lin fire police shut down a section of Route 209 until about 5 a.m. Monday as crews extinguished the fire and dismantled the portable dams.
Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS and Minersville EMS assisted at the scene, Pothering said, adding that no injuries were reported.