Georgetown restaurant gutted by fire

By Tiffiny Woo

Published: July 7, 2008

Flames engulfed Willis Restaurant in Georgetown by the time firefighters arrived on the scene early Monday morning.
Sheriff Lon Ming stated that the fire is believed to have started in the back of the business near the coolers.
“The fire marshal believes that it could have resulted from the lightning storm we had Sunday afternoon,” said Ming. “The insulation would have cut off air flow to the fire causing a slow burn.”
By the time the fire was noticed and reported, flames had already claimed the building.
The Georgetown-Quitman County Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call and had the fire under control within 30 minutes, said Ming. It took them all day to get the fire completely out, however, as hot spots kept reigniting the structure. The building was a total loss, but Ming says the firefighters did an excellent job responding to the call.
“They were timely in their response,” he said. “The firefighters here do a great job especially being volunteer. They’re good about keeping up with their training and things.”
Attempts to reach Willis Restaurant owner were unsuccessful.