One of Oxford’s most popular haunts for breakfast and lunch is closed after suffering extensive fire damage Tuesday night.
The Country Coney, located at 1040 S. Lapeer Road, just south of Drahner Road, caught fire around 7:52 p.m. following repairs to some natural gas piping inside the restaurant, which was closed at the time, according to Oxford Fire Chief Jack LeRoy.
‘When they relit the water heater, (flames) flashed up the wall and went across the ceiling,? he said. ‘I think the owner (Scott Pike, of Oxford) tried to hit it with a fire extinguisher, but he couldn’t stop it.?
From there, the fire traveled through the ceiling tiles into an empty space between the restaurant’s original roof and a newer roof with a steeper pitch that was built directly over it.
‘It was a well-involved fire between the roofs when we got here,? LeRoy said. ‘The fire was in there and it was going good.?
The chief roughly estimated the blaze caused a minimum of $100,000 in damage to the building and its contents.
‘It’s probably going to have to be completely reroofed,? he said.
An officer from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Fire Investigation Unit was on scene examining the building and taking photographs. ‘At this point, it looks accidental,? LeRoy said.
The first fire truck arrived on scene at 7:57 p.m. and the blaze was declared under control at 8:23 p.m.
‘It was a good save,? LeRoy noted.
Tuesday was a busy day for Oxford firefighters who responded to a total of eight calls. Four were medical runs while the other four were fire-related.
Oxford sent its ladder tower to assist Orion Township with a ‘minor fire in the roof line? at the Odyssey Industries facility on Indianwood Road.
Firefighters also extinguished a swimming pool heater that caught fire on Manalee Lane and dealt with two downed cable lines on Pontiac St.