Photo/LAVINIA KERR BAR BLAZE: A fire broke out Tuesday night at at TJ's Hangar on Broadway. The fire was believed to have originated in the establishment's kitchen. For the second time in less than five years, a Broadway pub has fallen victim to fire.

As of noon yesterday, investigators were seeking to confirm the cause of a blaze that forced the closing of TJ's Hangar at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, at a time when an estimated 25-30 patrons were comfortably seated in the popular sports bar, away from the sub-zero temperatures of the early evening.

By 9:30, a firefighter at the site said the fire was under control except for the ceilings. It was sufficiently under control that some of the patrons had gone to Angel's Restaurant, a few feet away. Angel's was fully in operation, and never appeared to be threatened in any way.

Fire Chief Andy Macintosh was nearby when the alarm sounded, and said he arrived within about 30 seconds. "Evacuation was already under way when I arrived," he said.

Apart from restaurants and the Royal Canadian Legion lounge, the loss of TJ's for at least the holiday season leaves Orangeville with just three watering holes - Mad Hatter, Hardwick's and The Deck.

The Mad Hatter, then on Broadway, burned down in March 2003. It has since reopened on First Street, but the site of that blaze has not been redeveloped.

Unlike the Mad Hatter, where the cause of the blaze was determined to be arson, TJ's fire is thought to have been caused by a fault in a compressor. There had been speculation that it was an electrical fire, but Chief Macintosh said Wednesday that investigators were "leaning toward" the conclusion that a belt on a compressor in a storage room had erupted.

"There were a lot of combustibles there, including empty beer bottles and other items." He said there was no criticism of the storage, however.

The chief estimated the value of the loss at about $300,000 - mainly water damage. "There's water damage in every part of the building," he said.

During the fire, the landmark aeroplane on the roof almost took flight. Because of the ice and the heat, one of the guy wires securing the plane snapped. "We were wondering which way the plane was going to go. It was a concern."

Although the fire was brought quickly under control, about 20 firefighters remained until about 2 a.m., and then one pumper remained onsite overnight.

TJ's, under different names, is one of the oldest such establishments in Orangeville. Originally called Al's Diner in the late 1940s and onward, it was at one point the only place to get a post-midnight coffee between Toronto and Owen Sound.

The other major Broadway outlet back then would have been the Grand Central Hotel, in the area of the Royal Bank.