Manny’s Cheesecake In Utica Destroyed By Fire

Utica, NY (WIBX) - An early morning fire destroyed the 43 year old business on the corner of Oneida and Pleasant Streets in Utica. Utica Fire Chief Russ Brooks says investigators are still trying to determine what caused the blaze. Some on the scene speculated that it was started by lightning. Brooks says one employee was able to make it out of the building after smelling smoke. Richard Alpert, Owner of Manny's Cheesecake Bakery said, "My baker came to work, everything was going normal around 4:30 and then at 5:15, I got a phone call that there was fire in another part of the building. He smelled smoke and he went to investigate a different part of the building and he saw fire--he saw flames. He got out and called 911."  Brooks says his fire fighters were assisted by New Hartford and New York Mills Fire Departments.