Source: Joey Dugan TURBEVILLE, SC (WIS) - A massive fire destroyed a landmark restaurant near Turbeville late Tuesday.
When firefighters arrived on the scene of The Compass Restaurant just before 11 Tuesday night, flames were seen shooting through the roof. It's located on Myrtle Beach Highway just off Interstate 95.
Nearly 50 firefighters from both Sumter and Clarendon Counties responded to the blaze. It took hours to get the fire under control.
Cliff Cantey, owner of the restaurant, says August would have been his 5th year owning the eatery. He says they plan to rebuild it but right now, but he’s still in shock and grieving with the community.
"It is just like losing one of your own, it’s like losing a child," Cantey says. "It’s just devastating to me and my wife. We put our heart and soul into this restaurant and we worked as hard as any employee."
People have been driving by the scene all day, taking photos and expressing shock over the loss of this restaurant. The damage is estimated at $450,000.
Investigators are still looking into what caused the fire.
No injuries were reported.Copyright 2016 WIS. All rights reserved.