Ballston Spa Restaurant “Total Loss” After Fire Guts Building

A staple of the Ballston Spa, NY area, Augie's Restaurant is no more as fire officials deem the restaurant a "total loss" after an early morning fire on Monday.

According to WTEN, the fire call was put in around 4:30 am in the morning. Local Fire Departments from Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs, Malta Ridge, and Round Lake responded and, at the time of this post, are still putting out hot spots of the fire.

Officials believe the fire started in the basement of the building and fire officials tried to attack it from inside the building but decided it was too unsafe to continue. Paper and other restaurant products are said to have fueled the fire. Investigators believe the fire starter to be electrical. Though once the fire was put out, the building was too weak for anyone to enter to actually investigate.

Owner Augie Vitiello vows to rebuild on the exact location which has housed the restaurant for nearly 9 years, telling the Times Union