Beloved Westmoreland County diner goes up in flames overnight

On Tuesday night, a fire ripped through a popular restaurant in Ligonier Township. Luckily, no one was inside Ruthie's Diner when the fire started, but officials are now saying that the building is a total loss.

It all started shortly after 8 p.m. when a driver along Route 30 called 911 and saw flames coming from the beloved family-owned restaurant that has been serving the people of Ligonier and travelers along the Lincoln Highway for years. Crews arrived a short time later and quickly began to battle the blaze.

People on Wednesday morning were stopping by in disbelief.

"I was here for breakfast yesterday morning," said Gerry Dillon of Ligonier. "It is sort of sad because I come here two or three times a week or so, and I am going to miss the place."

"It's really pretty devastating," said Randy Bussard of Somerset County. "I mean, I can't say I was a weekly visitor or anything, but anytime we traveled this way, it was always, Ruthie's was the place to be."

The restaurant was closed, and no one was inside at the time of the fire. Officials say the inferno appears to have started at the back of the building, before spreading throughout the entire structure.

Crews from Ligonier and surrounding areas battled the flames in temperatures well below freezing. No one was hurt in the fire, but the parking lot at the location quickly became a sheet of ice, and one firefighter slipped and fell, injuring his arm.

Ligonier Valley Police Chief Michael Matrunics says that though this is a terrible loss for the community, it's even worse for Ruthie's family. For their sake and for the sake of public safety, he is asking people to stay off the property.

"For one, it is icy; someone is going to get hurt," said Chief Matrunics. "Two, it's private property. We don't need people walking around this property right now, just for their safety. We have actually had cars stopping in the middle of the highway. You're causing a danger, so please, do not stop in the middle of the highway just to get your couple of minutes to look at it."

KDKA-TV did speak briefly with the state police fire marshal, who was on scene on Wednesday. He said that this is an ongoing investigation, and they are working to learn what caused this fire to start.