Fire hits Center Avenue building
Firefighters have been fighting a blaze at 339 Center Ave. since 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
The three-story brick building was home to Hutch's Diner on the first floor and eight apartments on the second and third floors.
All the residents got out of the burning building safely, though at least one pet cat was missing as of late Sunday morning.
Owner Clair Boring said he was making arrangements to put up the tenants at Almost Home motel on New Castle Road in Butler Township, which he also owns.
American Red Cross was also at the scene and offering assistance to displaced residents.
The cause of the fire was unknown Sunday.
Bryan Hutchens, owner of the diner, said he and his employees were getting ready for their breakfast crowd when they started smelling something burning.
“We smelled like a wood burning smell and thought it could be leaves or something, we were checking the burners,” he said.
After going upstairs and discovering smoke he called 911 and made sure that all the tenants quickly exited the building.
Center Avenue is closed from the Wayne Street bridge to South Monroe Street as firefighters continue to work.
