A fire broke out at Roch’s Place restaurant at 101 N. Main Street in St. Joseph on Sunday afternoon forcing the popular establishment to close indefinitely.

The challenging conditions required an unprecedented coordinated response from multiple fire departments across Champaign County. The St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District was assisted by mutual aid from numerous agencies including the Eastern Prairie Fire Department, Ogden-Royal Fire Department, Edge-Scott Fire Department and the Homer Fire Department.

Additional support came from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, Carle ambulances, the Village of St. Joseph Public Works Department, and the local power company. Community members also contributed by bringing Gatorade and water to firefighters battling the extreme heat conditions.

All employees and patrons successfully evacuated Roch’s Place safely before firefighters arrived. However, one worker was transported to receive medical treatment for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office SIFT (Systematic, Impartial, Focused, Timely) investigation team.