Fire destroys Eagle Nest Pizza in Linesville

May 22-- May 22--LINESVILLE -- A fire destroyed Eagle Nest Pizza early Tuesday morning.

According to Borough Fire Chief Bill Mickle, they received the call at 2:43 a.m., and 15 fire departments assisted to put out the blaze. Mickle said there was heavy fire on the first floor, but no one was injured as the building burned.

"They weren't on the scene five minutes before they had to evacuate," Mickle said. "They started doing defensive tactics."

Fire departments on hand were Linesville, North Shenango, Summit, Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Lake Park, Conneautville, Springboro, Fallowfield, Hayfield, Vernon Central Hose Co., West Mead 1 and 2, Cranesville, Pierpont, Andover and Jamestown. Vernon Township remained on standby. As of 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, Mickle said the department had not yet cleared from the incident.

According to Mickle, the fire marshal said the cause of the fire was undetermined. Eagle Nest Pizza Owner Gary Hite mentioned electrical malfunction as a possible cause. Don and Sharon Kobel of Linesville owned the building since 2012 and used the rear of the facility for storage. Hite said a "large rodent nest" was found in the storage area that may have been involved.

Hite and his wife Sherrie owned Eagle Nest Pizza for two years, and the building had housed other pizza parlors prior. In decades past, the building also served as a lumber mill. Hite told the Tribune they had insurance on the business and the equipment, but did not have immediate future plans.

"Lord willing, we'll rise again, just like the dough," Gary said. "We'll come back. I got people calling me like crazy."

The Kobels, however, did not have insurance. Mickle said the fire department had to hire an excavator to knock down remaining walls and that the Kobels may have to cover the charges.

"From a safety standpoint, we did we had to do," Mickle said.

Tyler Dague can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at [email protected].

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