Depot burns early Thursday

For the second time in a little more than three years, The Depot Restaurant was destroyed by fire.

Vandalia firefighters were called to The Depot, located at 107 S. Sixth St. in Vandalia, at about 1:45 a.m. Thursday morning after Dennis Grubaugh smelled smoke and noticed that the building was on fire.

Upon their arrival at the scene, firefighters saw heavy smoke pouring from the eaves on numerous sides of the building. The fire broke through the roof within 30 minutes.

Brownstown and Ramsey firefighters were called to provide mutual aid assistance.

Firefighters were at the scene until about 7 a.m.

A cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency is continuing.

The restaurant and bar was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of Labor Day in 2007. The Truitt family purchased the property and rebuilt the business, and it opened this past spring.