Above: The fire at 43 West Street in Hancock in the early hours of Sunday, March 1. Photo via the Delaware County Fire Wire & Emergency News Facebook page.
For 10 hours on Sunday, March 1, firefighters in the Delaware County village of Hancock fought a massive blaze that destroyed an Italian restaurant and a hair salon. The commercial building at 43 West Street in the village was totally destroyed, according to WBNG:
Little Italy II, which had operated in that location since 1987, and Uptown Hair Salon, which opened six months ago, were both consumed by the fire. The owners of both businesses have vowed to rebuild, WBNG reports:
"It's absolutely devastating," said Andrew Grigoli, one of the restaurant owners. "We've been here for a very long time." ... "We're not the kind of people that let a fire stop us," said Laura Rowe, co-owner of the salon. "We'll be good," said the other co-owner, Lindsay Caskey. "Just a little bump in the road and we'll get through it." The building is a complete loss, but Grigoli said he plans to rebuild as soon as possible.
According to the Daily Star, first responders evacuated nearby buildings and arrested one man for "obstructing firefighters" at the scene.
No one was injured in the fire, the cause of which has not yet been determined.
