THE FIRE MARSHAL CONFIRMED FOR WHKP NEWS THURSDAY AFTERNOON THAT ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF THE BUILDING WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE THAT BROKE OUT IN THE ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY STEAKHOUSE JUST BEFORE 5 AM THURSDAY MORNING.    

THE FIRE MARSHAL ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND THE HENDERSONVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH THE LOCAL FIRE MARSHAL.   

THE FIRE MARSHAL SAID NO ONE WAS IN THE BUILDING AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE, AND NONE OF THE NEARBY BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED BY THE SUMO FIRE.   

FROM THURSDAY MORNING REPORTS:   

TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC WERE OPEN AGAIN AS OF 7:30 AM ON THE ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY.  ALL LANES HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN AND ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC HAD BEEN DIVERTED EARLIER AFTER FIREMEN RESPONDED TO A FIRE THAT STARTED  JUST BEFORE 5 AM AT THE STEAKHOUSE.  FIREMEN SAID THAT FIRE HOSES HAD BEEN STRETCHED ACROSS THE ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY.

SUMO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE IS LOCATED WHERE HARDEE'S ONCE WAS ON ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY. 

FIRE CHIEF JOSEPH VINDIGNI TOLD WHKP NEWS THAT FIREMEN WERE CLEANING UP, PUTTING OUT HOT SPOTS,  AND BEING SURE THERE ARE NO MORE DANGEROUS AREAS  AFTER GETTING THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL.

THE CHIEF SAID THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DONE TO THE RESTAURANT.  IT'S TOO EARLY TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF THE DAMAGE, HE SAID.

THE CHIEF SAID THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED...THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE IS JUST GETTING UNDERWAY. 

VALLEY HILL AND MOUNTAIN HOME FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENTS ALSO RESPONDED TO THE FIRE WITH MUTUAL AID ALONG WITH EMS, THE RESCUE SQUAD, AND HENDERSONVILLE POLICE. 

CHIEF VINDIGNI TOLD WHKP NEWS HE'D HAVE MORE DETAILS LATER ONCE THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRE GETS FURTHER ALONG.  SO STAY TUNED. 

By Larry Freeman