ORANGE PARK – Gary Park sloshed through soot-stained puddles Tuesday morning. He was careful to step over chunks of insulation, charred pieces of wood, broken glass, smoked-stained chunks of walls and shards of metal as he tried to make sense of how his G’s Slow Smoked BBQ burned so quickly.
When he stepped into the back dining room, he was greeted by streaks of sunshine peering through gaping holes in the ceiling. He knew Winter Storm Finn was quickly approaching, and the sun’s rays would soon be replaced by strong wind gusts, bands of driving rain and a threat of tornadic weather.
Mother Nature couldn’t damage G’s any more than a fire Park believed started in the kitchen area.
“We think it was over in the cooking area, what we call ‘the pit,’” he said. “I’m glad nobody got hurt. Fire Rescue got here as quick as anyone could.”
Clay County FR got the call at 1:31 a.m. They sent 23 units, and completing the job took 3 hours and 59 minutes.
G’s opened in 2012.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “It’s not savable. It’s going to be declared a total loss.”
Employees and friends huddled behind the restaurant on Blanding Boulevard to offer Park support. One man tried to wipe away soot and smoke from a stuffed deer head. Even portions with no flames – the lobby and adjacent dining room to the left still were heavily damaged by smoke and water.