Above: Video from the scene of the fire that destroyed the Rainbow Diner on Route 209 in Kerhonkson yesterday, from the Daily Freeman.
A local landmark went up in flames Monday afternoon: The Rainbow Diner, a seedy but beloved greasy spoon on Route 209 in Kerhonkson.
During lunch service, a grease fire ignited and spread to the roof through the ceiling vents. The Freeman spoke with the diner's owner:
George Haralabopoulos, who has owned the diner for 26 years, said he was sitting down, talking with a customer late Monday morning when they noticed smoke outside the window.
“Right away, I got up, and I stormed into the kitchen and all of a sudden, I see the flames coming in through the hoods, the grill was on fire,” said Haralabopoulos, who lives in Lake Katrine.
YNN reported that firefighters had a tough time fighting the blaze:
"The dropped ceiling hides the fire. You can't get into it. There was a threat of collapse, so I couldn't send anyone inside. The heat. This makes firemen work twice as hard. This is one of those fires that didn't want to go out," Accord Fire District Chief Paul Ryder said.
