STEARNS —
What began as a triumphant week for the McCreary County Heritage Foundation with the re-opening of the local golf course ended in tragedy Saturday night as fire ripped through the complex at historic downtown Stearns.
The blaze broke out at approximately 11:15 p.m., just an hour after the annual Homecoming Celebration ended with a fireworks display shortened by safety concerns.
Jason and Aimee Strunk left the festivities a little later than most — having visited with her father, Doc Coffey, who lives in the community and serves with the Foundation. As they were driving past Stearns Restaurant, they noticed that a bit of shrubbery along the outer wall was on fire and stopped.
“It was small enough that I was going to stomp it out,” Mr. Strunk told The Record.
But by the time they had parked and gotten out of their vehicle, the fire had doubled in size.
As flames spread through the restaurant, the Strunks called first his parents (his father Philip is a firefighter) then her father.
With fire crews beginning to arrive, the blaze jumped to the theatre roof and shortly thereafter broke out through the top of Store 1. A dispatch was soon sent out for every available firefighter in the county.
McCreary EMS as well as Search and Rescue also responded. Though a few firefighters were treated on scene for heat exhaustion, no one was seriously injured. However, the Stearns community is attempting to recover from one irreplaceable loss.
“We’ve lost a lot of history,” Ted Coffey, who operated Stearns Restaurant with his wife Myrtle, said as he watched the fire from across the street.
Since taking over the restaurant in early 2011, the Coffeys had discovered and displayed several photos, scrip and other mementos of the town’s mining origins. The restaurant itself, Mr. Coffey said, dates back to 1926.
The entire complex was constructed by Stearns Coal and Lumber Company, which drove the county economy for some eight decades. Since the 1980s, the town has re-invented itself as a tourism destination.
Though the precise cause of the fire is under investigation, smoldering from either a cigarette or private fireworks is suspected.
Mr. Coffey stated he had seen individuals setting off firecrackers in the area during the Homecoming celebration, despite a burn ban including the prohibition of fireworks without professional supervision due to the recent weeks of record or near-record high temperatures and little rain.
By 3 a.m., the fire had been contained within Store 3, sparing the rest of the block. Firefighters stayed on hand until 6:30 a.m. and returned several times throughout Sunday to prevent a re-ignition.
With two shops largely undamaged on the block along with the Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot, McCreary County Museum, and Stearns General Store unaffected, officials made the decision to open those businesses as scheduled.
“We felt we needed to keep some sense of normalcy to maintain the morale of the community as well as ourselves,” said Foundation Vice President Becki Egnew. “Our plans now are to stabilize the complex as best we can as we work with our state and federal contacts to begin moving forward.”
Egnew said that it appears that the complex — which includes the restaurant, old theatre, Store 1, Store 3 and the basement-level McCreary Heritage Hall — survived the fire structurally, albeit with extensive roof and water damage. She commended the firefighters for their efforts.
“We honor every fire department in the county for the miraculous job they did,” Egnew said. “No one should doubt their ability. We also appreciate the community support we have received, starting with the people who came out Saturday night. The words of encouragement — that the community appreciates what we’re trying to do [preserve local history] — mean so much.”
That support was needed again yesterday as the iconic Stearns sign atop Store 1 was taken down until the restoration can begin.
According to Crabtree-Wilson Insurance Agency, an adjuster is due to inspect the damage today. However, Stearns officials acknowledge that insurance won’t likely be enough to cover the cost of rebuilding.
A “Friends of Stearns” fund has been established at both the Bank of McCreary County and Forcht Bank.
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Just an hour after the annual Homecoming celebration came to a close, fire broke out at Stearns Restaurant. As the blaze jumped the rafters into Store 1, firefighters struggled well into Sunday morning to contain the damage. Janie Slaven
History Up in Flames
Stearns complex heavily damaged in Saturday night fire
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