WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA - A venerable and beloved local restaurant that had been in the same place since 1941 fell victim to the red devil's fury on August 13, 2024, just after closing for the day.

Charlie's Diner, a "box car" style diner, had been built in New Jersey the year World War II started. The building was placed at 218 Union Street in West Springfield, opening that same year, and had operated continuously until 1980 when the original owners closed it. The current owners, the Alfano family, bought and renovated the building in 1986, reopening and operating here until this fateful afternoon.

Calls to 911 started coming in two-and-a-half hours after the close of business for the day at 4:30 P.M. Responding West Springfield fire fighters arrived to find heavy fire venting from the Alpha/Delta corner of the building and heavy smoke venting from the remaining three sides. West Springfield crews used a transitional style attack, knocking down the heavy fire from the exterior with multiple hand lines before advancing inside and had the bulk of the fire knocked down within 30 minutes but sadly, the damage was done. The entire restaurant, dining room and kitchen, suffered significant fire, smoke and water damage.

The outpouring of grief in the town and beyond in the hours after the fire was akin to the loss of a local celebrity or hometown hero. Townsfolk who had patronized Charlie's Diner or who had worked there over the seven decades since it opened were beside themselves with sadness, openly pleading with the Alfano family to rebuild and reopen. In a social media post the afternoon of the fire, the Alfanos promised the community that they would try to reopen, but also acknowledged that the historic box car diner will not be able to be saved due to the extensive fire damage. No injuries were reported, as the diner was closed for the afternoon, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the WSFD and the State Fire Marshal's office.