A storied restaurant in Hugo caught fire Sunday morning and was considered a total loss. Carpenter's Steak House, on Hwy. 61, was a Washington County landmark for more than 100 years.
The fire was believed to have started on the second floor, said Mike Ericson, Hugo's city administrator.
"They're pretty shook up," Ericson said of the Anderson family, who owned the combined bar and restaurant. "It's been in their family for 40 years." Ericson said that Carpenter's was "our signature restaurant in town" and said the fire would rival the 2002 American Legion fire in its loss of city history.
Fire departments from Hugo, White Bear Lake, Forest Lake and Centennial were on the scene, with departments in Oakdale and Mahtomedi on standby.
Hugo is about 25 miles northeast of Minneapolis.
Kevin Giles • 612-673-4432
