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Pigeon Forge restaurant was lost to a fire on Sunday morning. Firefighters arrived at the All-American Pancake House at the corner of the Parkway and Wears Valley Road around 6:30 in the morning to find that the building was 60% engulfed by flames. An emergency call alerted authorities of the blaze at 6:20; at 6:45, the building “blew up in flames,” in the words of one witness. The pancake house was over 20 years old and constructed primarily of wood, according to fire investigators, who said the blaze originated in the kitchen area. These factors made the fire more intense, but no one was injured in the blaze.
The restaurant on the Parkway likely served thousands of visitors to Pigeon Forge through the years. Visitors driving down the Parkway on their way to Pigeon Forge attractions will notice the vacant spot the building once occupied. Pigeon Forge is always growing, but there is a sense of sadness when a long-standing business closes or, in this case, is lost to fire. Some vacationers make a family tradition of eating at a particular establishment, and the All American Pancake house was no exception. Despite the loss, it is always interesting to see what intrepid plan a businessperson comes up with to rebuild and come back with something new and refreshing to see on the Parkway. Time will tell what change will be seen at the corner of Wears Valley road and the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.