KENORA – October 17, 2026 – Firefighters were still on the scene at the Kenora A&W around 7:30 p.m. Friday after a blaze broke out in the building earlier in the evening. The restaurant sustained significant damage. The entry section opposite the kitchen took the worst of it. Franchisee Randy Nickle told the Kenora Miner and News that he found a cigarette butt nearby the apparent origin of the fire. Officials have not issued a statement on the cause. No injuries have been reported.
OPP North West Region posted that Fifth Street South was closed from the intersection of Fifth Street South and Eighth Avenue South to the intersection of Fifth Street South and Highway 17 East while emergency crews worked. The post asked people to avoid the area and follow the direction of responders until the road reopened. Large plumes of smoke affected traffic in the area. One window was broken so firefighters could get water into the building. Nickle was photographed on scene with an OPP officer.
The restaurant is likely to be closed for some time. The Miner and News story, published Friday night, said more was to come. City of Kenora Fire and Emergency Services has not released a formal update on the cause or the extent of the structural damage. The cigarette butt Nickle mentioned is the only detail that has been attributed to anyone on scene. It is not a finding from the fire marshal. The investigation into the origin is not finished.
Kenora has one A&W. It sits on a commercial stretch that sees Highway 17 traffic. The road closure took that stretch of Fifth Street South out of service for the duration of the response. The kitchen area was not the part that burned hardest. The entry section was. Whether the building can reopen after repairs or whether the franchise has to rebuild is not known. Nickle has not been quoted on a timeline. The city has not said when Fifth Street South will reopen. The fire started early Friday evening. The firefighters were still there after 7:30. The rest is the investigation and the cleanup.
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