Valino’s fire update

It didn’t take long for fire to rip through Valino’s Restaurant, a popular eatery and karaoke spot at the corner of Carolina Beach Road and Southern Blvd. The fire broke out around 3:30 in the morning and luckily no one was inside.

”I just got a call from the bosses daughter telling me that it was on fire and I came just to see what I could do,” said Mena Buie, a waitress at Valinos’s.

Fire crews were able to get the fire under control around sunrise. Officials aren’t sure what sparked the blaze. Several agencies have been called to investigate.

Valino’s is a total loss at this point, but the good news is that restaurant owners have insurance so they are able to rebuild.

Traffic was reduced to one lane Wednesday morning. The chief investigator has said this afternoon that they determined the fire was accidental and started in the dining room.