Fire destroys O’leary’s: No one injured; building must be torn down, fire chief says

DIXON – An apparent grease fire erupted in the kitchen of O'leary's Irish Pub & Grill around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, completely gutting the popular family-owned business.

No one was injured in the fire, which took about 5 hours to extinguish, Dixon City Fire Chief Tim Shipman said.

A strong, steady wind and limited access to the old building made the fire difficult to put out. With only two windows on the front and two on the side of the building, there was little room to douse the flames, Shipman said.

The white two-story wood building, at the corner of First Street and College Avenue, still was smoldering at 9:30 p.m., but the crew was getting ready to call it a night, he said.

It will be torn down, Shipman said.

Tiesha Dewey, 24, daughter of the owners, was working alone when she heard crackling.

"I just went back in the kitchen and flames were shooting out of one of the fryers," she said.

Gone are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish paraphernalia, the wall of antique beer cans, and the long wooden bar. There was a banquet hall, a dance floor and a second bar upstairs.

Dewey sat on the edge of the street, crying, as she and her 18-year-old sister Taylor Sodergren frantically tried to call their mother, Tammi Sherman.

"I was getting in the shower to come into work at 4," Tammi said. "I had a bunch of missed calls on my phone. My daughter, Taylor, finally got me and said it was on fire."

When she arrived, she stood in the street with her daughters, devastated.

"I can't believe I'm standing here watching my whole life burn to the ground," she said.

Tammi and her husband, Wes Sherman, of Dixon, bought the business 6 years ago.

"I'm just glad we didn't have a restaurant full of people when this happened. Wednesday is our busiest night."

Josh LeFevre, head cook, said he takes his break every day between 2 and 4 p.m.

"The fryer was cooking fine this morning," LeFevre said. "When I left, everything was fine. I don't understand it."

It's too soon to say if they will rebuild, Tammi said.

She's thankful to have insurance, even though its doesn't help the loss she feels personally.

"I grew up in this place," she said. "My grandparents used to bring me here for fried chicken when it was The Corner Tap.

"I just can't believe this."