Fire destroys North Versailles landmark

A North Versailles Township steakhouse was destroyed when flames ripped through the Route 30 landmark.

Winchester Room's fire alarm sounded on Monday at 1:06 p.m., setting off a long day for firefighters battling the blaze at 1728 Lincoln Highway.

Allegheny County Deputy Fire Marshal Don Brucker said fire and police units dispatched to the scene "were confronted with heavy smoke coming from the building. Crews made access and found fire inside the building," noting that investigators still are unsure where the fire started.

"It's a very large building," Brucker said. "Additional crews were called in to suppress the fire. The heavy fire in the building went throughout the structure."

He said no injuries were reported and no one was in the restaurant at the time of the fire because it had not yet opened for business.

"We entered the building and had heavy fire once we reached the center of the building and the basement," Fire Department of North Versailles Chief Jeff McNeill said. "We had to back out of the building because the floor was compromised and it was already burned through. It became a defensive fire attack from the exterior of the building."

Brucker said the structure is "a total loss."

He said the county fire marshal's office expects to continue investigating the scene today.

"We have crews here with heavy equipment to assist us with our origin-and-cause investigation," Brucker said. "We can systematically remove sections of the building for fire investigation efforts and investigative purposes."

The Winchester Room has been in operation for more than 30 years at the same location. Kurt Salmon has owned the restaurant for the past decade.

"We have a fire alarm and they notified my husband immediately that there was a fire," the owner's wife Renee Salmon said.

She said employees had been in the restaurant Monday morning, but left before the fire.

"It's just a family business and people come here for the steaks," Renee Salmon said. "My husband is the chef. We're going to have to take it one day at a time."

Many current and former Winchester Room employees came to the fire scene.

Restaurant waitress Anna Safos, who has worked at Winchester Room for 18 years, said someone sent her a text message alerting her about the fire.

"We're all like family here," she said. "This is unbelievable. It's such a tragedy."

Former Winchester Room waitress and bartender Dana Donifero said the current and former staff members are very close.

"We all still get together a couple times a year," she said.

"It's a shame," North Versailles police Chief Vincent DiCenzo Jr. said. "They've been in business a long time."

A large crowd gathered at Pittsburgh Plaza East shopping center across the street from the steakhouse to watch as fire crews fought the blaze.

Ron Myers of North Versailles said he was headed to Winchester Room for dinner on Monday night.

"It's sad," he said.

Route 30 was closed from Route 48 to McKee Road during the fire.