Monday, October 28
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Lithgow Police have appealed for anyone with information into the fire at the Blue Fox Bar + Kitchen to come forward.
The fire is being treated as suspicious.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Lithgow Police Station on 6352 8399, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.
A fire damaged the Blue Fox Bar + Kitchen early on Saturday morning, October 26.
Lithgow police Sergeant Darryl Goodwin said a passerby called emergency services shortly before 5am reporting smoke coming from the building.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Lithgow, Lithgow West, Mt Victoria and Katoomba attended the fire, which Lithgow 363 station deputy captain Jonathan Brown said had fully involved the roof cavity of the Blue Fox building.
"Two teams of two in breathing apparatus extinguished the roof cavity inside," he said.
The roof cavity was burned, with parts of the ceiling collapsing.
Part of the yard in the residence next door was also burned, but it was unclear whether this occurred at the start of the fire or during the blaze, Sgt Goodwin said.
Detectives are on the scene this morning. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this stage.
In a social media post on Saturday morning, the business' proprietors said they were "devastated" that the restaurant would be closed indefinitely.
"The blue fox was more than just our work, it was our home, we spend more time here than our real homes," the post said.
"We will keep everyone updated as we find out more and hopefully will be back up and running over the next few months."
The team said they had been overwhelmed by messages and gestures of support they had received.
The Blue Fox is the site of Lithgow's oldest a la carte restaurant. Over the years (with breaks) it has operated as the Galloping Grape, and hosted Italian and Indian cuisine.
The Blue Fox Bar + Kitchen opened its doors in March 2017 and has enjoyed considerable popularity, particularly following the closure of The Old Exchange in Main Street.
The team behind the Blue Fox opened a fast food version of their restaurant, 'The Fast Fox' just last month.
Located in the former Charcoal Chicken premises next door to the Blue Fox, the Fast Fox premises was not damaged in the fire and was open for business at 11am on Saturday.
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