FLORENCE – The popular Dairy Queen restaurant at the north end of the Siuslaw River bridge is a total loss after catching fire Wednesday.
Firefighters arrived to the restaurant on the west side of Highway 101 about 1:30 a.m. and found fire extending to the roof and called in a second alarm.
“We went to a defensive fire position immediately,” said Fire and EMS Chief Michael Schick with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters attacked the blaze from outside as it was too dangerous to go inside.
Two fire engines, a water tender, a rescue truck, a ladder truck, and two ambulances responded to the blaze. Florence Public Works staff were on scene to help mitigate the water runoff caused by firefighting efforts. The fire was out two hours later.
The restaurant was extensively damaged. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire. Officials say a cleaning crew had left the building about an hour before it started.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
