WATERFORD TWP. (WWJ) -- No injuries were reported, but a popular restaurant in Oakland County was completely destroyed by a fire Thursday morning.
"It's very sad. In fact, the fire chief called it an icon here in Waterford," WWJ's Charlie Langton reported from the scene in Waterford Township. "Been around for a long time."
Black smoke filled the neighborhood as firefighters from several cities responded to Fork n' Pint on Cass Elizabeth Rd. west of S Cass Lake Rd., after the fire broke out before 6 a.m.
"We're not sure exactly how it started, but the call came in about 5:50 this morning, and crews arrived to find heavy fire involved in the attic," said Waterford Township fire Chief Matthew Nye. "They tried to make an aggressive stop on it, but it started collapsing on them, so they had to back out."
"They went defensive and unfortunately the building's going to be a total loss," Nye said, adding: "No one was found inside there. To the best of our knowledge, nobody was in there, so that's a good thing."
Several local residents talking to WWJ said they were regulars at the restaurant, and they're really going to miss it.
This includes Pete Kowalski, who lives nearby.
"My wife and I would frequent there typically every Friday; it was our Friday night destination for years... So, we're devastated; it's awful."
Several roads remained closed in the area, later in the morning, with authorities urging residents to take another route and avoid the area.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is just getting underway, Nye said, and it will be a lengthy process.