Fire destroys Eldon restaurant

The cause for a fire that destroyed an Eldon restaurant was still under investigation as of Monday afternoon.

The fire at Philly Diner was reported at 12:15 a.m., Eldon Fire Chief Randy Vernon said, when an Eldon police officer reported heavy smoke coming from the diner at 403 E. Fourth St.

Not long after Eldon fire crews arrived on the scene, a call was made for more manpower. Fifty-four firefighters from several area neighboring departments were called in for mutual aid. This included the Moreau, Lake Ozark, Rocky Mount, Osage Beach, Mid County, Versailles Rural, Versailles City, Cole County and Tuscumbia fire departments.

The Randles Court motel operates in the same building as the diner. The four people staying in the motel were evacuated safely.

The fire eventually was contained after three hours, and no firefighters were hurt battling the blaze.

The restaurant sustained heavy fire damage, with some smoke and heat damage to the motel.

The Missouri state fire marshal's office is working to determine the cause of the fire.

"There's a lot of debris, and that makes it hard to get to some of the ares of the restaurant," Vernon said. "Only the front part of the motel suffered some smoke damage, and the rest of it is in good shape. At this time, it doesn't appear there's anything suspicious about the fire."