INDIANAPOLIS
--
Fire destroyed a popular eatery on Indianapolis' east side early Monday morning, causing more than $4 million in damage, as firefighters battled bitterly cold temperatures and frozen fire hydrants.
The fire began just after 12:30 a.m. at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant at 1405 N. Shadeland Ave.
Police responded to the restaurant after a burglar alarm went off and found smoke coming from the roof of the building.
By the time firefighters arrived, they found smoke and flames billowing from the back of the building, but their effort to save the building was severely hampered by bitterly cold weather.
"A quick offensive attack ensued, however, firefighters ran out of water within minutes," said Indianapolis fire Capt. Rita Reith.
All three nearby fire hydrants that firefighters tried to use were frozen, so they were forced to pull out of the building and battle the blaze defensively.
About 30 firefighters spent more than 2 hours fighting the fire, but the building was destroyed.
The restaurant had closed at 10 p.m. Sunday, and the last employee left at about 11 p.m.
"I'm just purely heartbroken right now," said employee Thomas Bykes. "It's a second home to me, and it's sad to see it go like this."
Restaurant owner Steve Sergeant told Reith that the restaurant has 135 employees and that damage estimates were high, in part, because cedar was used extensively.
Sergeant hopes to transfer many of those to other Texas Roadhouse restaurants in the area. He plans to rebuild, but said it would take up to six months to complete. The restaurant opened on Shadeland in 1998.
Investigators think the blaze began in the kitchen area, but they aren't sure how it began.
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