A diner in Badger that has been in business for more than three decades has been reduced to rubble after a fire broke out.

On Sunday, fire crews were called around 8:30pm to put out a fire at the Badger Diner, along the Trans-Canada Highway. By midnight, the fire had consumed the entire building – it was only after 1:30am that fire crews managed to put the blaze under control.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the fire – a hot spot flared up and began burning again, prompting fire crews to return around 6am. Police remained on scene the following morning.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but the building has been written off as a complete loss, CBC News reported.

Lillian Saunders, who owned the business alongside her husband Frank, lost property with a lot of personal significance to her.

“I’m devastated. I’m heartbroken,” she said. “Over the period of 35 years, every piece that we added on, my sons and my husband built it. And we put our heart and our soul into it, and we lived it. We lived that business.”

Saunders was in the building that night when she noticed the fire in the back room of the restaurant. She managed to escape, but only rescued a couple of personal belongings.

She had also contacted her insurer, but is unsure if the diner would be rebuilt.

“It’s not only about my family, I got staff that I really care about,” she told CBC News. “We’re a bunch of seniors working together, and we enjoy our work together.”


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