ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Several people are now without homes after a fire broke out around 11 a.m. Thursday morning in Estill County. The incident occurred on Richmond Road in Irvine, where apartments located above "The Juicy Burger" restaurant were engulfed in flames. The restaurant, which had recently undergone renovations, was also impacted by the blaze.
Fire Chief Derrick Muncie of the Estill County Fire Department reported that they received the call at approximately 11:30 a.m. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered significant flames and heavy smoke pouring from the roof of the second-floor apartments.
"It spread quick, of course, with the wind, it didn’t help any," Muncie said. "Basically, it went up into the attic and spread across the top. When we got here, we were behind the eight ball already, so we tried to at least save the downstairs while we could."
The owner of the restaurant expressed concern over the impact of the fire.
"It will be a big setback. Absolutely, you take just another business out of the community, and it does hurt it," explained Muncie, who recently visited The Juicy Burger just last week.
All three apartments above the restaurant were occupied at the time of the fire, but fortunately, no residents suffered injuries. However, a dog inside one of the units did not survive.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, and the State Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the incident. Chief Muncie assured the community that they are working diligently to uncover the source of the blaze. The destroyed apartments and restaurant represent a significant loss for the residents and the local business community in Irvine.
