McDonald’s confirms plans to rebuild after fire

Feb. 10--The owner of McDonald's, which was destroyed by fire in December, confirmed plans to build a new restaurant along Raleigh Road Parkway near Interstate 95.

"We're currently working through the permitting process and are excited about the restaurant plans," said Donnie Powell, owner and operator of McDonald's in Wilson. "If everything goes accordingly, the location will be rebuilt with the opening in late summer, early fall 2014."

A Christmas Day fire at the restaurant led to a total loss for the company, with estimated damages of the property and its contents near $1.4 million, said Randy Godwin, deputy chief of Wilson Fire and Rescue Services.

Investigators believe the cause was linked to equipment failure from a rooftop heating and air conditioning system. Determining the cause, which has not been concluded by insurance investigators, has been difficult due to the fire and smoke damage inside the restaurant.

The fire started in the upper area of a storage room near the HVAC system and burnt from high to low, Godwin said. The roof caved in and heavy smoke, heat and fire damage spread throughout the building. The restaurant, previously at 5028 Raleigh Road Parkway, was demolished in late January.

Powell said that employees have been given the option to work at other McDonald's restaurants following the fire.

"We look forward to serving our customers again and delivering the best possible experience," he said. "While our crew awaits the rebuild, they have the option to work at my two other area McDonald's locations."

rochelle@wilsontimes.com -- 265-7818

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