Bardstown restaurant caught on fire Thursday night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Multiple fire departments worked for over two hours to put out a fire in Bardstown on Thursday night.

Billy Mattingly, Bardstown Fire's chief, posted on Facebook about the fire at Hunan Chinese Restaurant on Bloomfield Road. The restaurant is not far from East John Rowan Boulevard.

It took over 30 firefighters to get the fire, that broke out around 10 p.m., under control, according to the Bardstown Fire Department. The roof of the business collapsed during the fire, forcing firefighters to change their defense operations.

"The fire was up at the attic at the beginning," Mattingly said to WDRB. "It was electrical in nature."

"We had it contained mainly to the area above the kitchen area, but apparently it had ruptured a main gas line coming in, and the building had filled up with natural gas and it found an ignition source," Mattingly said. "When it did that, it took off completely."

One firefighter was injured in the fire on Thursday. Mattingly said she is recovering with a laceration on her arm.

"They've been here in Bardstown probably 30 years or so, one generation of family started it and now another generation of family is running it, just super sweet people," Mattingly said. "I admire them for going through COVID because so many restaurants either went out of business or closed. They survived and came back strong."

He said there were rumors the fire was maliciously set, but investigators believe it was an accidental fire.

Mattingly said the fire was not arson.

"This family does not deserve to be put through that," Mattingly said.

Mattingly credited his crew at Bardstown Fire, as well as give thanks to Nelson County Fire, Northeast Nelson Fire, Bardstown Police, Nelson County EMS, Nelson County 911, and New Haven Rolling Fork Fire.

He said several people brought water to the scene for the firefighters.

The fire department was expected to survey the fire on Saturday.