Fire marshal investigating Silver Street restaurant fire

HURLEY - The Thursday fire that destroyed Wishbones restaurant on Hurley's Silver Street is under investigation by the state fire marshal.

The Hurley Fire Department battled the fire for seven hours in frigid temperatures, with a strong wind from the west blowing thick, black smoke toward Ironwood.

The structure was a total loss, according to the fire department.

The call came in around 4:51 p.m. of smoke and flames in the second story of the restaurant owned by Charles (Chatsie) and Mimi Moncher, and upon arrival of the firefighters, the second story was fully engulfed.

Nobody was in the building at the time of the fire. The adjacent Krash Inn was evacuated.

Despite the loss of Wishbones, firefighters were able to save the Krash Inn tavern, which sustained some smoke damage, but was upwind of the fire.

As of Friday morning, other businesses along Silver Street still had a lingering smoke smell inside the buildings, including Giovanoni's True Value hardware store and Traczyk's Accounting Office.

According to an employee at Giovanoni's, air purifiers were set out and the floor was cleaned to help get rid of the strong smoke odor.

Assisting HFD was the Hurley Police Department, Hurley public works department, Beacon Ambulance, Ironwood Public Safety Department and Red Cross.