By Lindsay Doty
Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House owner and chef Rob Ecker is thankful for the overwhelming support of the Henricks County community after a fire at his Lizton restaurant caused smoke and water damage.
The BBQ stop is shut down until further notice.
“The outpouring of support, prayers, and offers of assistance is greater than we could have imagined. And for that we are truly grateful and blessed,” said Ecker, who received dozens of calls, texts, and social media messages following the fire.
Fire crews were called to the Rusted Silo just before 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning after a heavy night of storms.
Crews found heavy smoke from the rear of the building and quickly put out the fire, “according to Pittsboro Fire Chief Bill Zeunik, the first on the scene.
Pittsboro was assisted by crews from Brownsburg Fire Territory with the extinguishment and cleanup.
“As far as damage is concerned, I’d estimate about $75,000 in lost inventory,” said Chief Zeunik.
Ecker encouraged prayers following the damage.
“Please lift our little place up in prayer and well wishes as we work diligently to get the Silo back on fire, in a good way,” posted Ecker, alongside the humorous hashtag #WrongKindOfSmoke.
While the exact cause is under investigation, Ecker says it started in a slow cooker unit overnight, possibly due to a power surge or lightning strike from passing storms.
“The fire spread into the adjacent wall where some studs were ignited and left smoldering, creating an abundance of smoke and intense heat,” shared Ecker.
No one was working at the time or inside.
“We will be closed for the foreseeable future, pending restoration efforts.”
Plans are in the works to serve a limited menu from the Silo’s food truck as soon as next week.
