A beloved Hales Corners restaurant is temporarily closed after an early morning fire damaged the building, but the Hale House is receiving an outpouring of community support as it works toward rebuilding.
Firefighters responded around 3:45 a.m. to find flames on the outside of the building that had already spread into the rafters and kitchen area.
"We got a call — some bystanders saw smoke and flames coming from right behind me at the corner of the building," Chief Peter Jaskulski of the Hales Corners Fire Department said.
No one was inside the restaurant when the fire started, and no injuries were reported. However, smoke and water damage inside is significant.
Multiple fire departments responded to contain the blaze, including units from Greendale, Milwaukee, West Allis, Greenfield and Franklin.
"Another fire unit came from Greendale. We also had units from Milwaukee, West Allis, Greenfield, and Franklin," Jaskulski said.
Firefighters successfully contained the flames to the kitchen area before they could spread further throughout the building.
The Hale House posted a message to social media saying they're still assessing the damage and are thankful no one was hurt. The post prompted an immediate outpouring of support from the local community.
"Devastated. Very disappointed," longtime customers Dennis and Barbara Burzynski said.
Watch: Beloved Hales Corners restaurant Hale House temporarily closed after early morning fire
"The food and the people that work here… a good cocktail, a good meal — it's always crowded," the Burzynskis said.
This fire represents a double blow for the restaurant owners, who recently dealt with flood damage at their other establishment, The Slow Buffalo in Franklin.
"Oh, it was devastating," customer Kathy Fechtneyer said. "It's the community. It's how good their food is. They just do a good job all around — we've never had a bad meal here."
Customer Jeff Becker expressed hope for a quick recovery.
"I hope it reopens. I'm glad it didn't… I don't know how much damage, but at least it's still standing," Becker said. "I hope it's soon."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The owners say they're focused on recovery and rebuilding, though no reopening date has been announced. When the Hale House does return, the community appears ready to show its support.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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