5 Bristol businesses, including popular diner, destroyed by fire

BRISTOL, CT (WFSB) - Five businesses in a strip mall in Bristol, including a popular diner, were destroyed by an early morning fire.

According to fire officials, the Crystal Diner was among the businesses destroyed.

The fire on Main Street started around 2 a.m.

Vivaldi Pizza, Marty’s Package Store, Main Street Laundromat, and the Dance Experience were also heavily damaged when flames ripped through the building.

Main Street was expected to be shut down for hours on Thursday morning while crews checked for hot spots and investigated.

“The challenges were to get access to the fire because the fire was hidden, and once it vented through the roof, we went to defensive operations,” explained Deputy Chief Bob Poggio, Bristol Fire Department. “Opening the structure, getting access into all of them, and [Thursday’s] weather is not like it was [Wednesday]. It is a lot colder, very icy. A lot of hose lines have frozen up already.”

The owner of the diner told Channel 3 that he was absolutely heartbroken.

“It’s like my heart was thumping,” said Krishna Naha, owner, Crystal Diner. “My wife was the same things. ‘What is going on? How are we going to reopen the store? What are we going to do.’”

Naha said that he plans to rebuild.

Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano said it was a difficult moment for the city.

“To see the devastation and destruction like that is a little bit tough here in Bristol,” Caggiano said. “We are trying to rebuild downtown right here and we are right here downtown and unfortunately lost a structure.”

Channel 3 was told that the entire structure will have to be torn down.

No injuries were reported.

Fire officials are investigating the cause.

This is a developing story. Stay with Eyewitness News for more details as soon as they become available.