SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Chief Steven Pinch reports that the Union Fire District of South Kingstown responded to a two-alarm fire that caused major damage to a popular waterfront restaurant on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, May 20, at approximately 3:44 a.m., the Union Fire District of South Kingstown was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 629 Succotash Road, a well-known restaurant called the Matunuck Oyster Bar.

Crews arrived within eight minutes to find heavy fire coming from the rear of the building and the second floor.

No one was inside the building when the fire broke out.

Strong winds accelerated the flames as firefighters aggressively attacked the blaze. The fire reached the building’s void spaces, making the firefighting operation more challenging.

A second alarm was struck to bring additional resources to the scene.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about 90 minutes before knocking down the flames and getting the fire under control. No firefighters were injured.

About 35 firefighters responded to the scene, with the Union Fire District of South Kingstown bringing in seven engines, two ladder trucks, and a heavy rescue truck. Mutual aid was provided by fire departments from Narragansett, North Kingstown, Charlestown and the Kingston Fire District. The North Kingstown Fire Department also provided station coverage, while South Kingstown EMS and the University of Rhode Island EMS were both at the scene on standby. The South Kingstown Police Department secured the roads surrounding the building.

Due to the building’s location on the waterfront, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management also responded to the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Union Fire District Fire Marshal’s Office and the South Kingstown Police Department.

Chief Pinch commended his firefighters for their outstanding work putting out the fire despite strong winds and the blaze getting into the building’s void spaces. “Our firefighters did a tremendous job, in extreme heat and wind conditions in a difficult building,” Chief Pinch said. “It was a pretty stubborn fire. Everyone did a remarkable job to stop the fire as quickly as they did. We had a lot of things working against us, but they did a great job overcoming those obstacles. Thankfully, we had no injuries, which is always nice.”

The building sustained significant damage. While the building remains standing, Chief Pinch said it may be a total loss.

“There is significant damage to the building,” Chief Pinch said. “It’s still standing, but between the water, fire and smoke damage, the structural problems are significant.” Chief Pinch expressed his sympathy for the owners of the Matunuck Oyster Bar, all their workers, local customers and guests who come throughout New England and beyond to the popular restaurant. The fire is particularly difficult as this time of year marks the beginning of the restaurant’s busy season.

“The Matunuck Oyster Bar is a fixture in the town,” Chief Pinch said. “It employs a lot of people. Most people in the community know someone who works there. It has a big impact on the town’s economy. It’s tough imagining the summer going on without having the Oyster Bar open. We feel bad for the owners and all the employees who are now out of work. Hopefully, they rebuild and are even better when they reopen.”