KEARNEY — The cause of a fire the burned the interior of a Kearney Taco Johns location and caused part of the roof to collapse is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.
At 1:49 a.m., the Buffalo County 911 Communications Center received a security alarm for the Taco Johns located at 419 East 25th St. and a Kearney Police Department officer was dispatched to check on the situation.
Upon arrival, the officer requested that the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department be dispatched due to smoke in the building.
According to the KVFD, upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke throughout the building and smoke pushing through the eves of the structure. Crews made entry into the structure to search for the fire and any occupants.
During this time, the incident commander observed flames coming from through the room and recalled the interior crews and they exited the structure due to safety concerns.
The KVFD crews continued to fight the fire from outside the structure, and the flames were brought under control by 5:16 a.m.
The State Fire Marshal was contacted to assist with the origin and cause of the fire, which is still under investigation.
Per the KVFD, there were no occupants in the structure at the time and there were no injuries reported.
The south eastbound lane of 25th St. and Ave E. between 24th and 25th are closed to traffic until scene operations have been completed.
There were 20 KVFD firefighters who responded to the scene with two engines, one ladder truck and two utility trucks.
The agencies who assisted on scene were the Kearney Police Department, Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, CHI Good Samaritan EMS, Nebraska Public Power District, Northwestern Energy and the City of Kearney Public Works Department.
