The Salmon Point Restaurant building smokes as Oyster River firefighters spray it down on March 1st, 2019. Photo by Troy Landreville/98.9 The Goat/Vista Radio OYSTER RIVER, B.C- Fire has left a restaurant south of Campbell River with major damage this morning. Firefighters from the Oyster River fire department have been on-scene at the Salmon Point Restaurant and Bar since the early morning, after an intense structure fire engulfed the building. The fire now appears to be mostly under control, but the building has suffered a large amount of damage. More information on the fire will be added to this story as it becomes available. -with files from Troy Landreville<doc-sep>An early morning fire has destroyed a popular pub and dining establishment in Oyster River. The call came in around 4:30 Friday morning and according to Fire Chief Bruce Green, "it came in as alarms ringing," but it was quickly determined to be a fully involved structure fire. Green says when crews arrived they immediately verified that nobody was inside the Salmon Point Restaurant and Pub and began to fight the fire defensively with extra attention paid to the side that was facing nearby travel trailers. The building is on property owned by the Salmon Point Resort. More than 25 firefighters from Oyster River and Campbell River battled the blaze, which was quickly consuming the structure. “Thankfully we have a good mutual aid agreement with our partners in Campbell River, they sent their tower truck down so we can get their aerial supply into the fire and they’ve also brought a tender," Green said. The bar’s owner, who is coincidently a member of the Oyster River Fire Department, told CTV News there were discussions recently about having a reunion at the pub for its former employees. He says the restaurant opened in 1982 and describes it as Campbell River’s oldest operating pub. He feels bad for his employees, who are now temporarily out of work. Firefighters will have to extinguish the blaze before they can start to determine a cause. “The big complication we’re having right now is the water that’s on the ground is freezing up and it’s causing a big slipping hazard for our firefighters,” Green said.<doc-sep>WATCH: A popular waterfront eatery near Campbell River was destroyed by a spectacular fire today. The Salmon Point Restaurant and Marine Pub was built in 1982. it served thousands of customers and employed hundreds of people. But when firefighters arrived on the scene just before 5 a.m. this morning, the building was already consumed by flames. Dean Stoltz reports. A popular restaurant near Oyster Bay has been destroyed in an early morning fire Friday. The Salmon Point Restaurant and Marine Pub, just off Highway 19A on Salmon Point Road south of Campbell River, was gutted by fire as crews responded around 5 a.m. WATCH: Flames rip through the Salmon Point Restaurant near Oyster Bay. Submitted. Oyster River Fire, with mutual aid from the Campbell River Fire department, battled the blaze. “After we arrived with several trucks we started an exterior fire attack because it was too dangerous to go inside,” said Oyster River Fire Chief Bruce Green. The owner is also a local Oyster River volunteer firefighter who is on medical leave but received the call on his fire pager. Jim Flohr also received a call from the security company saying an alarm was going off so he thought it could just be a false alarm like he’d responded to in the past. However, he said his heart was breaking as he drove to the scene and saw his restaurant going up in flames. “When I was driving here I could see the flames and thought Oh my God,” said Flohr. “I have staff I’m worried about, they’ve all showed up here who are crying so now I’m worried about them making sure they’re ok.” He says the restaurant is insured. Firefighters finally left the scene 9 hours after the fire broke out. Salmon Point Restaurant south of #CampbellRiver has been gutted by fire. The owner who is also a local firefighter says his heart was breaking as he drove to the scene and saw his restaurant going up in flames. ⁦@CHEK_News⁩ pic.twitter.com/8l569Gyv6r — Dean Stoltz (@deanstoltzchek) March 1, 2019 .⁦@RiverCityFire⁩ was called in for mutual aid to fight the fire with ⁦@OysterRiverFire⁩ at the Salmon Point Restaurant this morning. ⁦@CHEK_News⁩ pic.twitter.com/fVDeMbTrIu CHEK Newsletter Sign up for our newsletter to get breaking news and daily digests sent to your email. Email Address Sign Up — Dean Stoltz (@deanstoltzchek) March 1, 2019 No injuries have been reported.<doc-sep>
Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salmon Point Pub south of Campbell River Friday morning. Photo by Warren Janes The early morning solitude of Salmon Point, 20 km south of Campbell River, was rocked by the sound of sirens this morning as fire engulfed the Salmon Point Restaurant and Pub. Fire broke out before 5 a.m. when firefighters from Oyster River and Campbell River fire departments arrived, area resident Warren Janes said. “I live on Salmon Point and was woken by the sirens and lights,” Janes said. “Our power was turned off in the area and I walked down after seeing the rising smoke.” The Salmon Point Restaurant and Pub is a popular location on the shore of Georgia Strait in a rural area south of Campbell River that has been in business since 1982. READ MORE: Campbell River resident praises firefighters following furnace fire READ MORE: Campbell River firefighters reunite small dog with child after quelling blaze READ MORE: No injuries after collapsed floor traps worker at former mill in Campbell River – fire chief Bruce Green, chief of Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue, said firefighters responded to an alarm from the pub at about 4:45 a.m. The structure was fully involved in the blaze by the time firefighters arrived. The response involved about 25 firefighters, with two trucks from the Campbell River Fire Department and four from Oyster River, Green said. There were no injuries. Firefighters were still on-site by about 9 a.m., putting out hot spots. The cause of the fire remained unknown, Green said. He said the building was likely a complete write-off. -With files from David Gordon Koch, Campbell River Mirror Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter