Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire in a restaurant in the southeast Iowa town of Wever that left one person dead. Family members have identified the victim as 45-year-old Kenny Thomas. Thomas was found dead several hours after a fire broke out at the Green Bay Tap.
Wever Fire Chief J.D. Henshaw says crews ran into a serious problem early on in their fight against the fire as a piece of the overhang fell onto the gas main and broke it off. Henshaw says it took a couple of hours to get the gas turned off so they could fight the fire.
Henshaw says fire crews were first called to the scene shortly after 2:30 A.M. today and were there until mid-morning. He says the building is a total loss. Henshaw says the place was a local favorite.
Henshaw says the Green Bay Tap has been opened since the early 70’s and used to be owned by the man who lived next door. He says they had good food with a lot of people who came in for the lunch and evening specials. “It’s gonna be missed,” Henshaw said.
The chief says the victim, Kenny Thomas, sometimes slept at the restaurant and was getting ready to take the business over from the owner. The state fire marshal’s office is helping local investigators to try and determine the cause and origin of the fire.
By Michael Cation, KBUR, Burlington