MARYSVILLE, Wash. — It only took a few hours, and everything that Alicia Adamson had worked for over the last seven years disappeared.
“It’s awful,” Adamson said. “It's absolutely heartbreaking, so awful. Your worst nightmare in the whole world come true.”
She bought The Village Restaurant and Lounge in 2010. The iconic restaurant has been baking up pies since 1937.
Flames shot high in the air early Sunday morning as crews tried to put them out.
All Adamson could do was watch and worry about her 30 employees, and the community that has become more like family.
“It has so much history with the community, so it's heartbreaking on that level, too, that we are just taking this away from everybody,” Adamson added.
But Adamson is determined to rebuild. She says people have already reached out to her about possible restaurants she can lease temporarily while the restaurant on Ash Avenue is rebuilt.
Adamson says the only silver lining is that no one was hurt. There's apparently only a very small window - about 2 1/2 hours - where no one is at the restaurant, and that's when the fire started Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, the community is devastated to see what’s happened to a community landmark.
One of those dedicated customers is a 3-year-old named Maddie, whom KIRO 7 discovered on Facebook searching for someone at The Village who has had a profound impact on her.
"Does anyone know Connie from The Village? We looking for her,” Maddie said in a Facebook video.
Without a last name or any way of getting in touch, Maddie turned to Facebook to find Connie from the Village.
KIRO 7 reached out to Maddie’s mom and learned that Connie is a hostess.
“Connie, she's just like another grandma,” Abbi Gomersall explained. “She's gotten her birthday presents, Christmas presents, took time out of her day to learn who we are.”
KIRO 7 was able to connect Abbi Gomersall and little Maddie with Adamson, who promised to reunite them with Connie.
“It's exciting that we'll be able to get in touch with her outside of The Village to make sure she is OK, with everything that has gone on,” Abbi said. “And just be there for her, however we can, the way she's been for the past seven years for us.”
The cause of the fire still has not been determined.
Listen below for details from fire officials.
Cox Media Group