A two-alarm blaze at Frankie G’s pub may have damaged part of the establishment’s roof, but that isn’t about to stop the owner from getting the ‘Boro watering hole back up and running within the next few weeks.
Calvin Basran, owner of Frankie G’s Pub Kitchen Patio on Ewen Avenue, told the Record he expects the front half of the eatery, including the bar and the patio, would reopen sometime in the next two to three weeks, after a fire tore through much of the ceiling and roof at the back.
The fire happened around 1 a.m. last Friday. Someone called 911 after spotting smoke coming from the eavestrough, deputy fire chief John Hatch toldthe Record. About 30 firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant.
The fire was coming from inside the roof, so crews went to work to knock it down, which was no easy feat, Hatch said. Firefighters inside the building had to use a 24-foot ladder to reach the ceiling and from there, they had to remove the interior wood finishings from the affected walls and ceilings.
Outside, crews had to tear apart part of the roof to get at the fire, he added.
It took crews about three-and-a-half hours to squelch the fire.
“We’re very lucky because our whole building is made out of wood. We are extremely, extremely ecstatically thankful to the New Westminster Fire Department. They did an amazing job at just containing it in that one area,” Basran said.
It’s still unknown when the back half of the building will be able to reopen.
“We’re still waiting to hear from the restoration companies, and we’re still trying to nail a solid date on that one. The back half is going to be a little bit longer,” he said.
The kitchen was completely untouched by the fire, but the floors were damaged by water and will need some fixing. Basran has already spoken with Fraser Health to find out exactly what needs to be done before the doors open.
While the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, the fire department has said it had to do with an electrical system problem. Basran confirmed this, adding the system will be repaired prior to reopening.
