Fire damages buildings on West Main Street

ZANESVILLE — Firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire on West Main Street near the corner of Luck Avenue that left two buildings in ruins early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters from Zanesville, Falls Township and South Zanesville responded to the scene at 2:27 a.m., where ZFD Chief Eric Waltemire said they found the old McCarty's Cafe and Bar and the adjoining empty barbershop previously owned by Mac Davis ablaze. Falls and South Zanesville provided a ladder truck and air assistance, as they attacked the blaze from the front and rear of the structure, and they continued to fight the fire until dawn.

Assistant Fire Chief Doug Hobson said although the fire was still under investigation, the strength and quality of the flames were a clear indication that the fire was gas-fed, and Columbia Gas arrived on scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning to turn off the gas before the fire could be extinguished. The natural gas line at the old McCarty's bar was the source of the gas, Waltemire said.

Both buildings had been vacant for years, the barbershop having been closed in 2011 and McCarty's having been empty for about five years. In the aftermath of the fire, response crews tore down the buildings with tractors, citing public safety as a concern, Waltemire said.

Kim Bryan, who handles the estate of the old cafe's previous owner, said she was at a loss to understand what could have started the fire.

"We check up on the building every once in awhile, and we made sure that all the doors and windows are wired shut," Bryan said. "We have a gas furnace in there, but the gas has been shut off for half a decade, so it makes no sense."

Michael Bryan, who oversees the empty building with his wife, said back taxes had put the empty building under bank ownership and that he and his wife had been in the process of trying to sell it.

The building had been suffering from structural damage before the fire, with its roof leaking after the heavy rains of the past summer and siding beginning to deteriorate.

Waltemire said it is the largest fire in the city since a large apartment building burned at 19 S. Sixth St. in 2013, and that the city has been fortunate that there are very few commercial fires in the city. Both structures were deemed total losses.

As of Tuesday evening, West Main remained closed at Pine Street and Ridge Avenue, while Muskingum Avenue was closed at Pine and Luck. Drivers were asked to take alternate routes.