http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08131/880858-100.stm

No one injured in big Zelienople fire
Saturday, May 10, 2008

A massive early-morning fire on Main Street in Zelienople gutted two commercial buildings and damaged a nearby law office. No one was hurt in the blaze, according to Zelienople Police Chief Jim Miller.

An officer was patrolling the area just after 3 a.m. when he noticed smoke coming from the now-empty AAA Travel Agency building at the corner of South Main and Spring streets, Chief Miller said. Finding a back door of the building open, the officer followed the smoke upstairs to the second floor, where he found the fire, according to Chief Miller.

About a dozen fire departments from Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties were called to the scene. But the fire, he said, quickly spread next door to Beecher’s Coffee Shop, a gourmet coffee shop whose owners had recently renovated the building top to bottom and added wireless Internet access for customers.

That building was destroyed, and the fire also caused smoke and water damage to the Hamilton law offices next door. Several firefighters also were trapped briefly when part of a roof collapsed.

The coffee shop, which served gelato and sandwiches and hosted live music, had been restored in the past three years to become “probably the best-looking place around,” Chief Miller said.

A state police fire marshal was investigating. No damage estimates were available, but Chief Miller said the AAA building and the coffee shop were probably total losses.

I just spent all day Friday telecommuting from Beecher’s and was planning to do it at least once a week. It was my favorite area coffee shop; simply the most charming little place. Less than 12 hours after I left, it’s gone.