Firefighters from both sides of the river respond to Mississippi Grill fire

WEST QUINCY, Mo. — The remains of a cafe that was closed by the Flood of 1993 was destroyed by fire Thursday night.

Crews from Palmyra, Ewing, LaGrange in Missouri and Quincy and Tri-Township in Illinois responded to a mutual aid call at 6:43 p.m. A Marion County Sheriff’s deputy who was driving by put out the call.

The flames were knocked down in about an hour, but smoke covered U.S. 24 and the eastbound lanes were reduced to one lane so fire equipment could be moved to and from the scene.

Palmyra Fire Protection District Chief Gary Crane said he saw smoke as soon as he left Palmyra. From the east, smoke could be seen from as far away as Hull, Ill.

Crane said the fire was fought externally as it was too late to get inside the building when crews arrived. He said no one was injured while fighting the fire.

A late model Cadillac and a bus sitting outside the building were also destroyed.

The Mississippi Grill was a popular breakfast and lunch spot at one time, but the flood destroyed the restaurant when the West Quincy Levee broke in July, 1993. The owner had placed an empty grain barge on the spot with the idea of putting the cafe on the barge so it would remain dry if the levee was breached again. Those plans never materialized and the barge was removed on 2011.