By By John Wallace
Staff Writer
A blazing fire fully engulfed a Flomaton landmark Friday night and destroyed it despite the efforts of several area fire departments.
Flomaton Mayor Joe Brantley said the Southern Kettle is a new name on a building that has served as a landmark in Flomaton for as long as he can remember and the entire community is saddened by its loss.
He said the Flomaton Fire Department responded to the fire at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday and was assisted by the Friendship Fire Department, Century Fire Department, McDavid Fire Department and the Ensley Fire Department.
Brantley said insurance investigators were at the scene of the fire on Tuesday, but he thinks the cause of the fire was probably old wiring because of the age of the building.
Jim Raap, whose wife Carolyn Raap is co-owner of the Southern Kettle, said he and his wife were at the racetrack at the time of the fire.
He said his wife and co-owner Sharon Arnold were devastated when they saw the extent of the damage done by the fire.
Fortunately, nobody was injured in the fire.
Sharon Arnold said the weekend has been very difficult for her and the Flomaton community.
Arnold echoed Jim Raap's sentiments and said the lack of injuries was the only good thing about the fire.