20070602 Saturday morning roof fire at Classico Pizzeria

Saturday morning roof fire at Classico Pizzeria College Square Shopping Center

Classico Pizzeria, (410) 751-7600 College Square Shopping Center, 444 W.M.C. Drive, Unit 102, Westminster, MD 21158

June 2^nd, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster, MD – 4:00 AM - - Shortly after a thunder and lightning storm rolled through Westminster late Friday evening, Mike Bareford, the manager of the College Square Liquor Store smelled smoke just as he was leaving his store.

As he walked out of his store to continue to investigate the source, he discovered smoke rising from the roof over Classico Pizzeria, a popular Italian restaurant at Suite 102, College Square Shopping Center, 444 WMC Drive, at the intersection of WMC Drive and Route 140 in Westminster.

He called the Carroll County Emergency Operations Center at 00:55 (12:55 AM.) Fortunately Mr. Bareford was working late and thanks to his quick thinking and a sprinkler system; a fire in the restaurant next door to his store was quickly extinguished.

Approximately 25 Carroll County firefighters from Westminster, New Windsor, Pleasant Valley, Reese, and Union Bridge responded. Westminster City Police also responded.

Westminster Fire Department Chief Jeff Alexander arrived on the scene first at 12:57 AM and assumed command. The first units arrived on the scene at 1:01 AM.

The owner of the restaurant, Giuseppe Como was at home at the time of the fire. He had left the restaurant at approximately 11 PM. Mr. Como and his brother, Nunzio Como, also arrived quickly as did at least one employee of the restaurant.

Smoke was found coming from the air handler unit on the roof and that the sprinkler system had discharged below the air handler in the restaurant.

Chief Alexander reported that the sprinkler system put the bulk of the fire out and shortly after firefighters gained access to the restaurant, they quickly established a 1-3/4-inch water line and extinguished what remained of the fire.

The fire was placed under control at 1:16 AM.

Units remained on the scene for clean up until 2:05 when Chief Alexander terminated command but remained on the scene until 3:05 awaiting the arrival of BGE to check the electrical system, and further consultations with the owners of the restaurant and a representative of the shopping center.

It was preliminarily determined that the fire was accidental (- a possible lightning strike.) No damage estimates were immediately available.

Nuzio Como said that he was impressed at how careful the firefighters were to make sure that the damage to the restaurant was as minimal as possible. The firefighters had carefully covered up much of the kitchen area with large tarps.

Giuseppe Como did not have an estimate as to how long it will take for the restaurant to re-open except he hoped that it would not be long.

The Como brothers are well known as to how fastidious they are about keeping the restaurant spotless and as the firefighters were leaving the restaurant, he and his brother and an employee were already hard at work mopping-up the floor and cleaning up what little mess that resulted from the fire.

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Classico Pizzeria, (410) 751-7600

Classico Pizzeria, College Square Shopping Center, 444 W.M.C. Drive, Unit 102, Westminster, MD 21158

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Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)