Pocono News Section

Businesses Clean-Up After Scranton Inferno

Businesses Clean-Up After Scranton Inferno - Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 9:22PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Saturday, Jan 26, 2008 @09:22pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - More than 24 hours after a major fire in downtown Scranton, fire crews were back at the scene of the industrial building on Linden Street Saturday afternoon, putting out hot spots. They were working to control flare-ups after a big blaze on Friday morning.

"We're virtually untouched here. We're open for business as usual and we're so very fortunate to be in that situation," Time Guse said Saturday.

Guse is the owner of the Crazy Pineapple shop. His business is located in the front part of the building that burned and has already re-opened after suffering very little damage.

"We had the wind in our favor yesterday too. It was blowing away from this section of the building," Guse said.

Next door at P.J. Scanlan's Restaurant, workers kept their business closed Saturday so they could clean and disinfect everything.

"There's a slight odor in the hallway, but as you can see, there's no filament, no smoke, no damage whatsoever," Nancy Scanlan said.

Owners credit a double-brick firewall and the hard work of firefighters for keeping their business safe.

"They were just incredible. Frigid temperatures. I was just amazed. They even covered things in here, just in case there was water damage, they would be protected," Scanlan said.

As for the part of the building that burned, it was being remodeled into 38 apartments. Despite the damage, owners say that plan will forge ahead.

"We have to wait and see what the structural engineers say. One way or the other, whether the building has to be torn down and we have to start from the beginning, or whether we can renovate the existing building, we will continue," Danny Joyce, who is the son of the building owner said.

No one was hurt in Friday's fire. Firefighters say the blaze started when a contractor used a torch to cut water pipes and a spark caught the ceiling on fire.