Phagin's fire demolition set to begin next week; cause undetermined

Almost 100 firefighters including some from Lebanon and Milton helped battled the Phagin's fire earlier this month. (Milton Fire and Rescue photo)

GONIC - What's left of the building that housed landmark Gonic restaurant Phagin's will likely be razed next week, a Rochester Fire Department official said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, while the fire is thought to have started in the narrow alleyway between Phagin's and the building next door that houses Renaissance Arms gunshop, the fire's cause may very well never be known.

"The fire consumed everything and in our efforts to put it out with water, there may be no way to determine the cause," said Deputy Fire Chief Tim Wilder. "As of now it's undetermined."

Specifically, Wilder said the fire appears to have initially begun under a stairway in the alley that was well known to be a popular spot for smokers from the restaurant and elsewhere. However, there's no proof that a discarded cigarette or match was the cause.

The building in which longtime restaurant and watering hole Phagin's was located along with an apartment house next door at 11 Main St. went up in smoke on June 19 in a fast-moving fire that drew close to 100 area firefighters.

The blaze also left several tenants of upstairs apartments homeless and caused minor damage to the building that houses the Renaissance Arms gunshop.

The first call came in around 1:40 p.m., and the fire was under control less than two and a half hours later.

Wilder said no dollar amount had been put on the fire damage.

He said the probe into the fire's cause was a joint effort of the Rochester Fire Department, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the ATF.

Demolition is expected to take place next week after some asbestos remediation is concluded.