Calabash restaurant fire appears to have started in office

CALABASH, NC (WWAY) — Investigators say it looks like the fire that damaged a long-standing Calabash restaurant yesterday started in the office.

Brunswick County Fire Marshal Andrew Thompson says in a news release that preliminary findings are that the fire at George’s Pancake House on Beach Drive was an accident, and that an accidental electrical malfunction in the office area may have contributed.

Crews from several neighboring departments helped Calabash Fire respond to George’s around 3 p.m. Monday for a report of smoke coming from the building about an hour after the restaurant closed for the day.

“I don’t know whether to cry or laugh, so we’ll see,” owner and operator George Stathos told WWAY after the fire.

Stathos and his family have operated the eatery for more than forty years along Beach Drive. A fire in the middle of the restaurant left a torched interior. The restaurant went under costly renovations in January.

“I think we may be one of the fortunate ones where we had minimal damage fire wise but we do have smoke and water damage from the looks of it,” said Stathos.

Thompson says the joint fire investigation was conducted by the Calabash Fire Department, Brunswick County Code Administration Fire Marshal’s Office, State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Investigations into the fire continue.