Fire Guts Manchester’s Sportsman’s Cafe

MANCHESTER — The cause of the fire that heavily damaged 208 Spruce St., which houses Sportsman’s Cafe and a second floor apartment, early Friday could not be determined, investigators say.

The fire did start in area used by smokers and it is possible that improperly discarged smoking materials caused the fire, officials said. There is no evidence there was foul play, officials said.

Manchester Fire Rescue EMS was called to the business, which had closed at 11 p.m., at 1:09 a.m. When firefighters arrived three minutes later, there was heavy fire on both floors in the rear third of the building, fire officials said.

The two residents of the second floor apartment were able to get out of the building on their own and to call 911 on a cell phone. One of the residents told firefighters that fire was visible outside the apartment’s rear windows, and then fire began to break through the floor.

Firefighters had the blaze under control by 1:40 a.m. The bar on the first floor was gutted by fire, and the rest of the building was heavily damaged.

One firefighter was injured after slipping on ice.

The American Red Cross responded to assist the people displaced from the apartment.