Wysox restaurant re-opens after fire

April 26--WYSOX TOWNSHIP -- The Original Italian Pizza & Ristorante on U.S. Route 6 in Wysox will re-open on Monday after being damaged in a fire on April 5, the owner said.

The eatery sustained smoke and heat damage after an oven overheated to 800 degrees, said owner Deborah Scavone.

"The only thing that caught on fire were pizza paddles on top of the oven," she said.

Due to smoke damage, carpet in the dining area and all the ceiling tiles had to be replaced, as was come duct work in the heating and air conditioning systems, she said.

Other repairs included replacing the oven and replacing some floor tiles in the area of the oven, which cracked from the high heat, she said.

The furniture, walls, and other parts of the building's interior had to be cleaned, she said.

All the repairs and cleanup work will be completed by the time the restaurant re-opens at 10:30 a.m. Monday, she said.

The only work that remains to be done before the eatery re-opens is to finish cleaning the dining room and some prep work, she said.

She said she had insurance that paid for the repairs.

Wysox Fire Company Assistant Chief Tracy Gowin has said that the fire started when the oven overheated for unknown reasons, apparently after the restaurant's employees had left for the night on April 4.

"From my understanding, they don't normally turn the ovens completely off at night, because they take so long to heat back up," Gowin has said. "So normally, it (the temperature in the oven) stays at a certain temperature (overnight), but for unknown reasons, it overheated."

The 800-degree temperature that the oven had heated to is far higher than the temperature it would normally operate at, Gowin said.

"We're all excited" about the restaurant re-opening, Scavone said. "I'm greatly appreciative of my customers for waiting" for the repairs to be made, she said.

"We're looking forward to having our customers back," she said.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: [email protected]

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