The relaxing peace of a late summer morning in the Les Cheneaux Islands area was shattered Wednesday morning, September 9, by the destruction of a local icon. A fire broke at Snow’s Bar and Grill in Cedarville, destroying much of the beloved establishment. Firefighters from multiple communities rushed in to battle the blaze.
The fire broke out before the business’ scheduled noon opening Wednesday. Emergency services were called to the scene before 10 a.m. A beer delivery driver discovered the fire when he arrived Wednesday morning and called 911. It is unknown if anyone was inside the structure when the fire began.
The bar part of the building would be fully engulfed in flames before firefighters from Clark Township, Pickford, St. Ignace, and DeTour Village were able to get them under control. Just before noon, an excavator from Rudy Sherlund, Inc. was trucked in to demolish parts of the structure so firefighters could get at the remaining flames inside.
The fire ravaged the bar side of the building, as flames could be seen engulfing the structure and breaking through the roof. Smoke could also be seen coming out of the dining room side of the structure. Firefighters used tanker trucks to run in water from the Cedarville Bay boat launch to combat the flames.
Walt Lach lives next door to the bar. He said his wife, Vicki Lach, said she smelled smoke at about 5 a.m. while letting out their dogs. She checked around their home to make sure it wasn’t on fire at that time.
The bar was a beloved part of Les Cheneaux life for decades. Cedarville resident Chris Soderman was having breakfast with his friend Bob Varney when they heard the sirens of the first emergency responders reaching the scene. Soderman was a regular customer at the bar for decades, recounting its delicious food and the fun times from the parties and musicians it hosted. He said people came to the bar for generations.
“There’s a lot of local history going up in smoke,” Soderman said as he watched the fire. “I’ve got a lot of memories here.”
The bar took its name from the area’s former Snow’s Hotel, which was located at the current Les Cheneaux Landing property. The hotel operated from 1925 until it was destroyed by a fire in 1949. The bar was initially built on the Les Cheneaux Landing property before being moved up the hill to 1187 S. Park Avenue. Several owners ran the bar through the following decades.
The business was scheduled to operate from noon until 9 p.m. Wednesday before the fire. Snow’s Owner Amy Salter could not be reached for comment, but was on the scene as firefighters fought the blaze. She has run the bar since 2022.
ORIGINAL STORY
Cedarville, MI – At 9:40am, Central Dispatch received a call reporting a fire at Snow’s Bar in Cedarville. Clark Township, Pickford, DeTour and St. Ignace Fire Departments responded.
Onlookers report that the building was fully engulfed in flames. It is unknown is there was anyone in the building at the time of the fire or if there are any injuries.
EUP News will report more on this incident when information becomes available. Below are some photos provided on various Facebook feeds.
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This is so sad. I used to live in Cedar hills and ate at Snows quite often. I sure hope they rebuild.