In the quiet town of Sullivan, Illinois, firefighters faced a unique challenge as they battled a fierce blaze at a local eatery, NorthEnd Pub and Grill. Fire Chief Chris Wright described the scene as a narrow gauntlet, bordered by the building on one side and a lake on the other, creating a perilous path for the emergency team.

“There’s a small path to walk around that building. On the other side, you have the building. On one side, you have the lake to fall into,” Wright explained, emphasizing the precarious conditions under which his team operated.

The fire erupted overnight, with Sullivan’s Fire Department receiving the alarm shortly after midnight on Thursday. By the time they arrived at the scene on the shores of Lake Shelbyville, flames had already breached the roof, intensifying the urgency of their mission.

Fortunately, the restaurant had been closed for the season since October, and the owners confirmed that no one was inside at the time of the incident. Despite the absence of any immediate threat to human life, the complexity of the situation posed a significant test for Wright and his crew.

Reflecting on his two decades of service, Wright noted the distinctive nature of the challenge they faced. “We have to train for every scenario that we can possibly encounter, and last night, some of that preplanning paid off,” he remarked, highlighting the importance of preparation and adaptability in firefighting.

NorthEnd Pub and Grill sits on a boat dock and crews were fighting Thursday’s fire for more than four hours. Fighting a fire at the Sullivan restaurant came with a unique set of challenges, like how they had to run hoses all the way down the dock.

“We had roughly 2,000 feet of hose on the ground,” Wright said.

However, it wasn’t just the fire and the difficulty of getting to it. The weather added an extra challenge. As soon as Sullivan Fire got the call, they notified other departments, knowing it would be a difficult one to put out.

“The cold weather presented a challenge with slip, trip and fall hazards, and snow and ice on the docks,” Wright shared.

He also said while the fire is still under investigation, he believes that the cause was electrical in nature, and the building is likely a total loss.

“There was heavy fire damage on the east side of the building, all the way to the middle of the bar-kitchen area was heavily fire damaged. The rest of the dining area received a lot of smoke and heat damage, as well as water damage,” Wright said.

The owners said that it’s not a matter of if but when they can rebuild the restaurant. It has been in their family for more than thirty years, and while the restaurant means so much to them, they’re overwhelmingly grateful for everyone who has reached out to tell them how much their business has meant to them, too.