Fire at Peebles Bar-B-Q restaurant halts business

A fire at the well-known 73-year-old Peebles Bar-B-Q restaurant in Auburndale was severe enough to close the business Friday but a co-owner said a limited menu will be available for pickup this weekend.

According to Auburndale Fire Chief Brian Bradway, firefighters responded to a call at 7:52 a.m. Friday for a fire in the cooking area of the restaurant at 441 Dixie Highway. The caller reported smoke and flames around one of the three brick chimneys. The fire damaged the wood trusses above the cooking area.

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"They got a quick knockdown on it and contained it to that general area, so maybe about a 15-to 20-foot radius above the cooking area was damaged up into the rafters and trusses but it didn't spread to the rest of the building," Bradway said. "They saved the building but there is extensive damage around the top part of the cooking area."

Once Auburndale firefighters arrived, they entered the building with a fire hose to extinguish the flames, Bradway said. The building's metal roofing was also cut around the chimney in order to douse the fire with water from above.

With the cooking area in the center, the one-story restaurant has screened-in seating areas. A hydrant in front of the building and the department's quick response saved the building, Bradway added. The fire department cleared the scene at 9:02 a.m.

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There were no injuries to the occupants nor firefighters and nothing about the incident was suspicious, Bradway said.

"It was accidental," he said.

Co-owner Erica Strawbridge said it is not uncommon for the coals within the barbecue pit to flare up and these can be easily contained by closing the lids. But this fire climbed up the chimney and could not be reached by workers who had started cooking around 4:30 a.m. so they called firefighters.

The property in unincorporated Auburndale is owned by Peebles Barbeque Inc., which lists the Strickland family as its officers. The property had been transferred to Ronald E Peebles in 2006, county records show. He is Strawbridge's uncle. Her grandfather, Ellie Peebles, started the business and added a shed and carport on the land in the late-1940s.

"It’s a sad day in the history of Peebles!" Strawbridge had posted to the restaurant's Facebook page. "We had a fire. We will keep you updated as we figure things out."

Strawbridge said the family will offer several meats, including Peebles BBQ's signature chopped pork and beef, as well as side dishes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, but ribs will not be available on the limited menu until they can repair the restaurant. During the fire, electricity was turned off to the building which is needed to cook and power the dining area lights after dark.

A financial assessment of the damages has not yet been determined and the building was not insured, Strawbridge said. She added, community members have already come forward to express interest in volunteering to help restore the building.

Paul Nutcher can be reached at pnutcher@gannett.com.