Anchorage Daily News

Black smoke billowing skyward greeted early-morning drivers Saturday as fire destroyed Peter's Sushi Spot, a popular Midtown restaurant.

The fire, at 4140 B St., was called in to 911 about 5:30 a.m. by three different people, which means it was already big enough to be spotted by passersby, said Anchorage Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Klugh.

Fire officials at the scene could not say how long it had been burning before then.

It appears no one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported.

The building did not have a sprinkler system and was destroyed, said Bridget Bushue, also a department spokeswoman.

Bushue set damages at about $2 million.

Determining the cause will have to wait until inspectors can examine the remains up close, probably next week, Klugh said.

Twelve units responded to the first alarm. They found the roof on fire and the interior of the one-story building fully engaged, making it too dangerous for firefighters to remain inside, Klugh said. A second alarm was declared within minutes and another dozen or so units responded. Firefighters were pulled out and supervisors at the scene called for a defensive attack -- which means fighting from outside.

Firemen in shifts shot high-powered sprays of water at the blaze from the basket of a ladder truck above the fire, and from ground positions on both sides of the single-story, multi-winged structure.

At 8:50 a.m., an east wall of the building collapsed.

Hours later, tarnished pewter smoke still poured from the building and flames still licked along the roof as melted tar trails bubbled down the outside walls. The low cloud cover kept the smoke, and the smell, close to the ground.

The fire was under control by early afternoon but firefighters were still checking hot spots late into the evening, Bushue said.

Doug Schrage, AFD deputy chief of operations, said the combination of a tar roof and foam insulation made the fire particularly hard to subdue.

"It's not a big fire. It's just a very stubborn fire," Schrage said at about 9 a.m.

Tar roofs are great until they catch on fire, Klugh said. Tar contains volatile chemicals that provide a lot of fuel.

Two men identified as being associated with management of the restaurant stood talking on the sidelines as the fire raged but declined to comment.

The fire attracted watchers on both sides: in a line of parked cars strung along the east verge of C Street and in small groups standing in parking lots across B Street.

Herb Muller and Nancy Schmidt are visiting from Florida and smelled the smoke from the Marriott Hotel.

"I can't believe it's still not under control," Schmidt said as firefighters tried to drown reappearing pockets of flame. Schmidt said she felt sorry for the owner losing his business. "It's a time when things are not really great," she said.

Kluge had a more personal interest in the destruction. She and her fiance had a date to eat at the restaurant Saturday night, to celebrate his birthday.

Contact Sheila Toomey at stoomey@adn.com or call 257-4341.

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