SOUTHINGTON, CT (WFSB) -
A large fire broke out at a Southington cafe on Wednesday morning.
The Southington Fire Department was notified of a large fire that broke out in the rear of the Jitters Cafe on Queen Street just before 10 a.m.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene and shut down Route 10, also known as Queen Street, so they could work on extinguishing the blaze.
Thick black smoke and flames could be seen shooting from the building, but crews were able to put the fire out.
The owner of the cafe said she was getting ready to head over to the cafe to start her day when she heard and saw the fire trucks heading to the business she's owned for the past 14 years.
"I live just a couple of doors down," said owner Shirley Bloeth. "I didn't even have to drive and it was already in flames in the back. I could tell the fire started in the kitchen."
Jitters Cafe houses a coffee shop, a wellness center and a holistic bookstore. Bloeth said Jitters Cafe was planning events for the next two weekends, including a holistic fair.
Those events have been canceled.
The fire chief said there is extensive damage in the back, and that flames got up into the eaves, spreading smoke and fire throughout the building. As for the cause, the fire chief said it's still too early to know, but they know the fire started either in the kitchen or out on the back deck.
"The fire started in either in the kitchen or on the back deck area. We don't know which came first," said Fire Chief Harold Clark. "There was no one here on scene when the fire started so we can't ask questions."
As upsetting as watching your business burn can be, Bloeth told Eyewitness News this pales in comparison to what her family has been through recently.
She said in the past three weeks she's lost her father, her nephew and her cousin's husband.
Now this.
"We've had a horrendous few weeks," said Bloeth, who has insurance and will wait to assess all the damage before deciding her next step. "But this is nothing compared to all that."
Bloeth said that she has not seen all of the damage, but said she isn't a quitter.
The fire is under investigation.
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A fire was reported at Jitters Cafe in Southington on Wednesday morning.
A fire was reported at Jitters Cafe in Southington on Wednesday morning.
