Fire destroys Upper James restaurant

An Upper James Street restaurant was destroyed  by a fire that ripped through the building late Thursday night. Hamilton Fire was called to the August 8 restaurant at 1066 Upper James Street  at approximately 12:05 a.m. the Hamilton Fire Department received a report of a structure fire at 1066 Upper James Street. Once there, crews reported heavy smoke and flames visible from the roof area, at the front of the restaurant. The alarm was immediately upgraded bringing additional resources to the scene from across the City. The fire advanced through the attic and roof area of the building. Early in the incident, the front 1/3 of the roof collapsed and firefighting operations were changed to defensive/exterior. The fire was brought under control within approximately 45 minutes. The building has sustained significant damage including structural collapse. Initial damage estimates are in excess of a million dollars.  There have been no reports of injuries.