MENTONE - The Teel's Family Restaurant fire originally believed to be accidental now is part of an arson investigation.
According to Mentone Fire Chief Mike Yazel, possible suspicious activity in the building may have led to the Tuesday night blaze. Fire investigation dogs returned to the scene Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation and indicated that the cause of the fire may be arson.
Around 11 p.m. Tuesday night, a Rochester man, Timothy Hayden, saw smoke coming from the Teel's Family Restaurant building and contacted the Mentone Police Department. Fire crews from Mentone, Akron and Burket spent about 1-1/2 hours putting out the blaze, which is believed to have started in the center section of the restaurant in the buffet area.
The building sustained extensive damage, including a large crack in the block back wall. Firefighters think the flames flashed before they arrived at the scene, causing the back wall to crack.
