HEWITT — A fire early last Friday morning turned Jessie's Country Kettle and Pub on Greenwood Lake Turnpike into nothing more than a pile of rubble.
No one was seriously hurt in the blaze that was reported by a worker at 4:24 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
The call came in to police as a kitchen fire. Police, fire and EMS were dispatched to the scene. Greenwood Lake Turnpike was shut down between Awosting Road and Marshall Hill Road until 12:10 p.m. because of the severity of the fire, which was fueled, in part, by four propane tanks.
Police said there were three occupants in the building at the time of the fire, including two workers and the tenant who lived above the deli. All were out of the building when help arrived.
Councilman Joe Smolinski was on the scene with the West Milford First Aid Squad. He said he's been to many fires in his years as a volunteer but was very impressed by the coordinated efforts of the fire departments involved.
"I was extremely impressed. This involved so many pieces of equipment and there were no significant injuries," said Smolinski, noting it was a multi-state effort.
Crews from throughout West Milford, Highland Lakes, Vernon, Pompton Lakes, Wanaque, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Hardyston, Bloomingdale, Northvale, Wayne Company #3, Sussex, Frankford, Ringwood, Little Falls, North Haledon, Hawthorne and Clifton responded from New Jersey. Fire companies from Tuxedo, Greenwood Lake and Warwick, N.Y. were also on the scene.
Patrol Units from the Passaic County Sheriff's Department as well as their Haz-Mat Unit also responded.
The fire remains under investigation by the West Milford Fire Bureau.