Breakwell's Hit by Fire

Since I'd seen a few comments on the various blogs about this, I thought I'd make a quick post to update everyone as to the status of Breakwell's Coffee on 9th St. As you may (or may not) know, there was a fire at Breakwell's early on Sunday morning that at first looked to be quite extensive. However, it turns out that the fire was contained strictly to the outside of the building. According to Russell, the owner, the interior was essentially unscathed. I didn't get a chance to stop by there this morning, but from what I heard yesterday he hoped to have the place reopened as soon as he was able to get the electricity turned back on.

There have also been rumors that the fire was arson-related, due to the spate of fires that seemed to erupt in Shaw over the weekend. Near as I can tell, the Breakwell's fire appears to be electrical in nature, not arson. (Edit: Not true; apparently the fire was sparked by children playing with fireworks that ignited a Pepco fuse box.) At any rate, it's good to know that the fire didn't do any significant damage (although the exterior sure didn't look that great) and that Russell will have the place back open soon.