Fire damages popular Marble Hill restaurant

Popular restaurant Jay’s Barbecue in Marble Hill, Missouri, sustained extensive damage in a fire Thursday morning, fire department chief Calvin Troxell said.

Troxell said the department responded to a call at 7:57 a.m. for a fully engulfed structure at 105 Conrad Ave. in Marble Hill. The structure that was engulfed in flames housed the meat smokers.

“We were able to stop the fire from spreading to the main building,” Troxell said, but there is some fire damage in the kitchen. The main building sustained extensive smoke damage, he said.

The area that housed the smokers is a screened-in area attached to the main building, Troxell said.

“It’s a big thing in town, brings in a lot of business,” Troxell said. “The owners are good people.”

Troxell said the current proprietors have owned the business for only about four months.

By all appearances, Troxell said, the fire started at or around the smoker, which is a solid, wood-fired smoker, and spread from there.

The smoker was in operation Thursday morning, Troxell said, as the workers arrive early to begin preparing the day’s food.

Troxell said the restaurant’s entire inventory will be a total loss. He said no timeline for the restaurant’s reopening has been established.

Mutual aid came from Woodland, Leopold, Zalma and North Bollinger County fire departments, Troxell said.

“We always work together. It’s a group effort, all teamwork,” Troxell said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

105 Conrad Ave., Marble Hill, Mo.