The damages resulting from a blaze in the building that housed a local favourite for Japanese cuisine for nearly thirty years are approximately $400,000.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg Saunders adds the fire investigation at the Kabuki House restaurant is ongoing.
North Bay Fire Prevention personnel have determined that the cause of the fire is not suspicious and foul play has been ruled out. Fire prevention says the accidental fire started in the basement of the structure.
No fatalities or injuries resulted from the early Friday morning fire at the Kabuki House on Main Street West, owned and operated by Chef Masa Nagasawa and family since 1989.
Police initially responded to a burglar alarm at the restaurant before calling the fire service. Fire crews arrived on the scene at 1:26amon Friday.
North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley says firefighters encountered heavy fire and smoke on the first floor and had difficulties gaining entry to the structure, eventually retreating to fight the fire from outside.
The Fire Chief says conditions inside the building changed and then rapidly deteriorated, forcing crews to change tactics and fight the fire from the outside. He says that the balloon frame construction of the building works against fire crews as it helps to quickly spread the fire throughout the building.
