TROY - Flames gutted the insides of two restaurants in Lansingburgh.
The call came in around 10:30 a.m. Friday for a fire at Hot Dog Charlie's and Trader Ed's on 2nd Avenue.
Flames and thick black smoke were seen coming from the adjacent restaurants. Firefighters were breaking windows and knocking down doors to battle the blaze.
"It's a catastrophe. Terrible flames," eyewitness Natalie Silver said.
Silver lives nearby and says she's been going to Hot Dog Charlie's for years.
The Troy Fire Department believes the blaze started as a grease fire in Hot Dog Charlie's.
Some second-floor apartments were also destroyed, leaving six people homeless.
According the Trader Ed's website, the building dates back to 1787 and has served as a tavern for most of its existence.
Hot Dog Charlie's is a family-run business that started in Troy in 1922. Although it began at a different location, the 2nd Avenue restaurant has been operating for many years.
"It was all set up for the Fourth of July," Silver said. "This is really a sin. It's a landmark."
Print Story
Email to a Friend
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Google
Newsvine
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Yahoo
