Hot Dog Heaven damaged by fire

A fire that broke out Aug. 31 at Hot Dog Heaven, 493 Cleveland Ave. in Amherst, left significant damage to a staple restaurant in the city.

Amherst fire Chief Jim Wilhelm said firefighters responded to the call around 11:50 p.m., where crews battled the flames that had reached into the building’s attic.

While the fire started in the ventilation of the kitchen’s deepfry and grill area, the “balloon construction” of the building led the fire upward, Willhelm said.

“It was like a build-up in the fan area,” he said. “That’s where the smoke and the flames started.”

Balloon framing consists of using lightweight studs rather than heavier posts, and are nailed together.

This style of framing, popular during the time of the building’s construction over 100 years ago, left open space for the fire to travel from the basement all the way to the attic.

Wilhelm said substantial damage was done to the attic, heavy heat damage to the first floor and heavy fire damage to the second floor, per an investigation done by the state fire marshal.

With the completion of the investigation, officials are “pretty sure it started in that area, the ventilation system,” he said.

Wilhelm said the Amherst Fire Department estimates that insurance returns for the damage could total $400,000, with $200,000 for structure damage and $200,000 for content damage.

Hot Dog Heaven owner Chris Russo said on the restaurant’s Facebook page that despite the fire, he plans on rebuilding and reopening the restaurant.

The night of the fire, Russo said he spoke to neighbors, friends and family, all which told him the restaurant was a staple to their experiences in Amherst.

“Over the last 44 years, Hot Dog Heaven has become ingrained in the very fabric of what makes Amherst the hometown that it is,” Russo said in the post. “Amherst may be known as the Sandstone Capital, but Hot Dog Heaven is an icon that people from all around are familiar with.”

Russo also added that the larger-than-life Santa Claus that stands outside the restaurant during the holiday season was salvageable and will return this year.

COURTESY OF RUSS MARTY Hot Dog Heaven, 493Cleveland Ave. in Amherst, sustained heavy damage after a fire erupted from the building’s ventilation system the night of Aug. 31. Owner Chris Russo plans to rebuild and reopen the restaurant.

COURTESY OF RUSS MARTY Substantial damage was done to the attic as well as damage to first and second floors at Hot Dog Heaven, according to Fire Chief Jim Wilhelm.