Good God almighty, when I saw a tweet from Jen Miller this morning that served as notice of a blaze at Tom Fischer’s Tavern in Westmont (08108 represent!), I thought the worst.
And from those pictures on the right of that montage atop that post (credit to Miller and newjerseyfireground), it’s hard to blame me.
The ‘Mont, as it was once formally (and forever, personally) called holds a special place in my heart, what with it being where I oft played shuffleboard, ate cheese curls and watched the Rockford Files as a youth and the last place I stopped before I was almost killed in 2008.
Luckily, firefighters were able to contain the blaze.
They had help, bar owner Val Fischer told me this morning, as a concrete wall separating the smoking porch (built, in part, by late friend Malcolm Varevice) from the inside created a situation where broken windows and smoke and fire damage resulted.
Yes, this is bad. But, nobody was hurt and the damage can be repaired.
I, for one, can’t wait to head back over the bridge, put Mr. Brightside on the juke and throw a few back at the Mont soon.