The Mayor of Machin Township calls the destruction of a high-profile local business by fire "a blow" to the community, but he's thankful no one got hurt.
Buster's BBQ restaurant in Vermilion Bay, west of Dryden, burned to the ground overnight.
Mayor Drew Meyers said all businesses in a small place such as Vermilion Bay are extremely important, so when one is lost it has a bigger impact on the community as a whole.
"We were quite proud of its notoriety," he said, "but as mayor I'm happy all our firefighters and local citizens were safe."
Volunteer firefighters responded to the alarm.
Meyers said there is no word yet on what might have caused the fire. "I haven't heard anything concrete yet....but I understand it's pretty much totalled so I don't know if any of it can be recovered or saved."
He said he is sure the Ontario fire marshal's office will be involved in the investigation.
Buster's BBQ's website indicates the restaurant had been closed for the season, and scheduled to reopen in the spring. The owners have been out of town participating in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
The restaurant, known widely for its blueberry barbecue sauce, was profiled in a 2012 episode of You Gotta Eat Here on The Food Network.
