Fire destroys Coachlight Inn in Brantingham

BRANTINGHAM, N.Y. (WWNY) - Fire destroyed a well-known Lewis County business Wednesday evening.

Volunteers from a number of departments were called to the Coachlight Inn, a bar and restaurant in Brantingham.

The owners, Shelly and Robert Doney, have run the business for 28 years and told 7 News there was no one inside when the blaze broke out.

Emergency workers had to demolish the bar and restaurant to get to stubborn pockets of fire, while the owners stood by and watched their business of 28 years come down to the ground.

“Devastated. I don’t know, it’s just 28 years of being here and seeing it all get torn down is heartbreaking. Hopefully we will be back. We love everybody. We’ll see you soon. Thank’s for all the calls too,” the Doneys said.

In a release, county dispatchers are listing the cause as a stove fire and say it’s under investigation.

They say fire units arrived to a fire above the kitchen area with heavy smoke and fire in the center of the building. The fire spread quickly through the roof area that had many void spots and layers because of the building’s age and additions.

The Doneys said people passing by saw smoke and called for help.

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