LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — A fire broke out in the ceiling of the Dunkin' Donuts in Muncy Creek Township just around 10 a.m. on Friday.
Smoke filled the Dunkin' Donuts and the Subway shop next door. Nearby businesses had to be evacuated.
"One of the girls from Dunkin' Donuts came over and said their dining room was filling with smoke and right behind her was a girl from subway saying they had smoke too," said Florence Kuterbach, a clerk at a store nearby.
"There was rolling black smoke outside the building," said Ethan Jackson, the assistant manager at the Subway. "Smoke coming out of all the doors and then it started coming out of Subway as well."
Firefighters from more than five different departments responded to the fire. It took them about an hour to locate the fire and put it out. Firefighters battled the flames and ripped apart the roof.
"We couldn't find an active fire and then we started pulling the ceiling down and when we did we found the fire all above the ceiling," said Fire Chief Scott Delany of Muncy Area.
"They were here so fast, it was like nothing to be afraid of, they were going to take care of it. But they did evacuate us all," added Kuterbach.
We do not know what caused the fire to start. Both Dunkin' Donuts and Subway had smoke and fire damage in the dining rooms and kitchens.
Officials expect both businesses to be closed for at least a month.
"Dunkin' Donuts and Subway are probably going to be down for quite a while. Dunkin' Donuts is going to need a total rebuild and Subway is going to need some electrical work done," added Delany.
Fire officials tell Newswatch 16 that nobody was injured or harmed from the fire. The cause is currently under investigation.
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