Kitchen fire at Colonial Inn in Coniston due to appliances, fire official says

Greater Sudbury firefighters at kitchen fire at Colonial Inn in Coniston. February 11, 2025 (Sudbury Professional Firefighters)

Sudbury fire crews worked quickly to extinguish a fire that started in the kitchen of the Colonial Inn in Coniston on Tuesday morning and tenants have returned to the second floor.

A call came in around 9:20 a.m. about smoke in the kitchen of the widely known sports bar, restaurant and hall on Cedar Street in the city’s east end, deputy fire chief Jesse Oshell told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in a phone interview.

The local volunteer crew responded and was supported by four other stations: Wahnapitae, Minnow Lake, New Sudbury and downtown.

“Crews were able to quickly locate the fire in the kitchen and it was spreading within the walls,” Oshell said.

“It was getting to be very, very dangerous, very quickly.”

Firefighters were able to get it under control quickly, stopping the spread and minimizing the damage.

Unwelcome birthday surprise

It turns out the fire broke out on one of the owners' birthdays.

The sports bar was planning to serve up some ribs and wings in his honour but had to close due to the blaze.

“Thankfully, everyone is okay, and all tenants are safe,” owners Sandra and Dale said in a social media post.

“Please be kind and patient as we navigate through this horrific event. Thank you for your understanding and your support. We, unfortunately, will be closed until further notice!!!”

Suspected cause is a kitchen appliance

The exact cause has not yet been determined, but Oshell said it appears to have been caused by some cooking appliances – a stove and a grill.

It was not caused by carelessness and is not being considered suspicious, he said.

“The bones of the building are really old,” Oshell said.

“It’s an amazing landmark that has been around a long time and lots of work has been done over the years to keep it up and modernize it, but some parts are dated.”

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Firefighters were at the scene for about two-and-a-half hours.

There is some significant fire damage in the kitchen and some smoke damage in parts of the building, but the tenants from the second floor were able to safely return.

Because the damage is isolated to the main floor and kitchen area, Oshell said the owners will hopefully be able to start repairs and remediation work quickly.