JENKINS - A fire ripped through a business on State Highway 371 in Jenkins Sunday night, resulting in what the owner described as a "total loss."
The Pequot Lakes Fire Department responded to a call of a fire at Underdogs Bar & Grill around 11 p.m., after a passerby noticed smoke. Fire chief Tom Nelson said it took the department around two hours to fight the blaze. Both the Pine River and Nisswa Fire Departments were on scene as well. There were no injuries reported.
Owner Bill Moen said the business closed around 10 p.m., and no one was inside when the fire started.
Nelson met with Investigator Mark Germain from the State Fire Marshal's office on Monday morning, and the cause remains under investigation.
"We've got some things we have to rule out," Nelson said.
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Nelson said although it appears the fire originated between the kitchen and bar area and is likely electrical in origin, it's possible the specific cause may never be known. He noted the building has had numerous additions, and he described some of the wiring as "kind of pieced together."
Moen said that although it is difficult to tell from the outside, the inside of the 100-year-old building is almost completely destroyed.
"I'm kind of numb right now," he said on Monday. "My heart and soul went out to this place."
Moen said he opened Underdogs 10 years ago in a building that has served various purposes over the century, including as a post office, church and municipal liquor store. Underdogs typically employs 10-11 people during the summer months. He said he does not yet have plans for reopening his business in a new location, and his decision on whether to do so will come once he has more information from his insurance company.
