Investigation continues into fire that destroyed Lakeside Lodge & Grille

Sep. 19--BOLTON -- Investigators have completed their work at the scene of Thursday's fire that destroyed the Lakeside Lodge and Grille, but a cause is not yet known.

Fire Chief Robert LaGoy said officials from the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control and insurance adjusters have been at the site.

"We don't have any updates as far as the cause," he said.

William Peat, a spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said in an email on Friday that the fire remains under investigation and there was nothing to report at this time.

A nearby resident reported the fire at about 3 a.m. and it took about 70 firefighters from area departments to get it under control. No one was injured.

LaGoy said fighting the fire was particularly challenging. Firefighters' primary concern was to prevent the spread of the blaze to a large propane tank in the rear of the structure. They had to fight the fire from the outside. It was already too involved when firefighters arrived to mount an interior attack.

LaGoy said fire officials were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the adjacent structures, including a row of stores to the north with a candy shop and an antique store, the Bolton Chamber of Commerce building to the south and a small apartment building in the rear.

After the fire was under control, firefighters went through the buildings with thermal imagers to make sure the fire had not extended into the walls or roofs of those structures, according to LaGoy.

Bolton Supervisor Ronald Conover said losing Lakeside Lodge & Grille is a "shock" to the community. He extended his sympathy to the owner, Nicole Somma, who purchased the building in 2006. The business was originally established in 1945 by the Keating family as the Lakeside Lodge.

The building was a major part of the streetscape, according to Conover.

"It's really a landmark structure in the sense that if you say to somebody, 'the Lakeside in Bolton,' they know where it is. It's very identifiable, very well known -- not only for residents, but who knows how many tens of thousands of visitors," he said.

People have enjoyed going to the establishment for everything from drinks and dinner to birthday and retirement parties, according to Conover.

Conover also thanked the first-responders in Bolton and surrounding communities, which helped keep the fire from spreading to adjacent properties, and the Bolton Fire Women's Auxiliary for its support at the scene.

Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or [email protected] and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/.

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