Owner says he'll rebuild restaurant that burned

Press staff reports

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS August 26, 2008 09:51 am

— COOKSON – Fire officials said Monday the owners of a popular Cherokee County restaurant destroyed last week will rebuild the business.
Cookson Fire Chief Tim Knight said Dwight Baird, owner of Ike’s, has said he hopes to rebuild and could reopen a restaurant there in four months. Ike’s, formerly known as Stampede’s, was a total loss last Monday.
“The fire was fully involved on the back side of the restaurant when we arrived,” Knight said.
Firefighters were on scene at 5:30 a.m. and battled the blaze until 12:30 p.m. Mutual aid in the form of manpower, equipment and other essentials was provided by Keys and Chicken Creek firefighters.
Knight said the cause of the fire is undetermined.
“We called in the state fire marshal,” he said. “Arson and any kind of foul play has been ruled out.”
The fire was reported by a passerby.