Fire Damages Bar, Bensalem Shopping Center: Police

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —An early morning fire Thursday damaged the Grandview Plaza shopping center and destroyed a bar in the strip mall, authorities said.

Roads are closed between Tennis Avenue and Elwood Avenue following the two-alarm fire at The Andalusia Bar and Grill on the 970 block of Bristol Pike in Andalusia, authorities said.

Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift told Patch Thursday morning that police blocked traffic around the area and that fire crews were still on the scene at 7 a.m.

Heavy smoke was reported in the two-story strip mall with fire coming through the roof, according to initial reports. That led authorities to call for a second alarm and additional assistance.

About 70 firefighters responded to the scene. It took about an hour to put the blaze out, Action News 6 reported. The news outlet reported that there was a partial collapse on the second floor, but that no one was in the building at the time.

Drivers should avoid the area and use Interstate 95 or Knights Road, authorities said.

The bar touts itself for providing Bensalem and the Far Northeast with top-notch entertainment, food, and cocktails.

“The bar has been here for a number of years, it’s been a staple in this community for a long time,” Bensalem Township Fire Battalion Chief Robert Sponheimer told NBC10 Philadelphia.

This is a developing story. Please see Patch for further information and details when they become available.