Fire leaves downtown Naperville restaurant uninhabitable
Investigators are working to determine what sparked an early morning fire Sunday that left a downtown Naperville restaurant uninhabitable and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to its building.
No one was injured in the fire, which was reported at 6:13 a.m. by a passer-by that noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the two-story structure at 6 W. Jefferson Ave., according to the Naperville Fire Department. The building is home to Rizzo's restaurant and bar.
Deputy Fire Chief Rick Sander, speaking at the scene on Sunday, said the fire does not to appear to be suspicious, but stressed that the investigation into the cause continues.
Two trucks, three engines, a heavy rescue squad and two ambulances responded to the scene, along with two command vehicles, fire officials said. The first fire unit arrived on the scene within 5 minutes and found heavy black smoke coming from the top of the restaurant, officials said.
Crews began an aggressive fire attack and initiated a search of the building for occupants, the fire department reported. The fire was contained to the building's roof, exterior deck and second floor, and brought under control within 30 minutes. There was smoke damage throughout the building.
Rizzo's will be closed while repairs are made, Sander said. He couldn't provide an estimate for how long the repairs will take. Rizzo's sits on Jefferson between Noodles and Company and Perle Jewelers. Sander said Noodles and Company sustained a small amount of water damage as a result of the fire, but that other nearby buildings were not affected.
Shauna Rhodes, a Naperville resident, stood and watched as investigators worked at the scene on Sunday morning.
“You hate to see this,” she said. “This is such a nice downtown. I hope Rizzo's opens back up soon.”
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Naperville Police Department, Naperville's Emergency Management Agency, the DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force and several other agencies. The Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Lisle-Woodridge, Lockport, Plainfield, Warrenville and Wheaton fire departments provided coverage at Naperville's fire stations, authorities said.