Rob Iscrupe saw no signs of smoke at 6 p.m. Tuesday when he clocked out from his shift as a dishwasher at Ruthie’s Diner.

By Wednesday morning, he was surveying the icy mass of charred wood that remained where the longtime Ligonier Township landmark once stood.

The building was destroyed in a blaze reported just two hours after Iscrupe left for the night.

“The food was awesome. It was a great atmosphere,” Iscrupe said. “We had our regular customers. Everybody loved it.”

Firefighters ‘struggled with the cold’

Multiple volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the diner around 8:10 p.m. Tuesday for report of a fire coming through the roof. According to Ruthie’s website, the diner closed just minutes before the blaze was reported.

Firefighters battled difficult conditions Tuesday night, including ice and single-digit temperatures, said Ligonier Valley police Chief Mike Matrunics.

“They struggled with the cold,” he said. “(The fire) was going pretty good before anyone arrived.”

Matthew Springer, vice president of the Waterford Fire Department in Ligonier Township, said the flames were being fueled by an active natural gas line until the line was shut off.

Springer said crews had sufficient water supply from two nearby hydrants. Firefighters worked at the scene until about 1 a.m.

A state police fire marshal investigated Wednesday and determined the fire originated near the kitchen. While the cause remains under investigation by the Ligonier Valley Police Department, no foul play is suspected, Matrunics said.

“It’s been here for so long. It’s sad to see,” he said. “The community feels the same as me, for sure.”

A firefighter who fell at the scene was taken by ambulance in stable condition to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, according to Mutual Aid Ambulance spokesperson Shawn Penzera. No other injuries were reported.

Springer said Wednesday afternoon that the firefighter is OK.

Terry Stevens, son of the owner, said he doesn’t know whether they will rebuild the diner. He declined further comment.

‘Everybody went there’

The diner, which sits on a more than 4-acre property along Route 30, has been owned by Ruth and Fred Stevens since 1986, according to Westmoreland County property tax records.

The Stevens family inherited the restaurant from Ruth Stevens’ late aunt, Ruth Clark, who rented the building to another family that ran it as a diner.

It was called Burnsey’s Diner, said Shirley Iscrupe, an archivist at Ligonier Public Library. An ad in the 1975 Ligonier Town and Valley Booklet touted Burnsey’s Diner as the place to eat.

“Everybody went there,” said Iscrupe, a Ligonier native who recalls going to Ruthie’s Diner for lunch with her mother in the 1990s.

The restaurant was recently listed for sale by Berkshire Hathaway with an asking price of $1.2 million. The listing says the diner has been a staple in the community since 1957 and that the building was erected in 1930.

Ruthie’s Diner was known for its fresh baked pies and diner classics — including grilled ham and cheese and Reuben sandwiches, fried oysters, liver-and-onions and pork chops. Ruth Stevens used to make homemade candy to sell in the diner, such as peanut butter meltaways, chocolate-covered cherries and buttercrunch.

Patrons over the years have included the late professional golfer Arnold Palmer and Pittsburgh Steelers players.

Matrunics encouraged residents to avoid the diner property because the fire remains under investigation.

“The family wishes you not come,” he said, “and also the investigators wish you not come and walk around the structure … or stop in the middle of the highway.”

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