Staple Ritchie County restaurant destroyed in overnight fire

HARRISVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) — Devon’s Tailgate , which is in the former Pizza House building on Main Street in Harrisville, caught fire early Monday morning.

According to Facebook posts from the Harrisville and Pennsboro fire departments, the fire which started around 1 a.m. on March 25 is being investigated by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office and Ritchie County Sheriff’s Department.

Crews said that they saw heavy smoke when they arrived at the restaurant, and it quickly turned into a fully engulfed fire.

Photos posted by the departments show that the roof burned away completely. Volunteer firefighters from Harrisville and Pennsboro as well as Cairo, Smithville and Greenwood were on the scene for several hours, the posts said.

Devon’s just opened in the building earlier this year by Dean and Tanya Jones to honor their son Devon who passed away in 2018. Previously, the restaurant operated for decades under the name Pizza House. It was one of the few restaurants in the small town.

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