Early morning fire destroys Swick’s Creekside BBQ; owners said to rebuild

An early morning structure fire on Tuesday resulted in a total loss for Swick’s Creekside BBQ, formerly the Creekside Lodge. According to a statement from Scott Busenbark, who is the fire chief for the Crawfordsville Fire Department, firefighters responded to the blaze at around 12:45 a.m., encountering heavy flames bursting through the restaurant’s roof. The fire was brought under control around 2:00 a.m. The building has been deemed a total loss. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. No injuries were reported.

“We are holding tight to what matters most—our people are safe, and this community has already began wrapping its arms around us,” said the owners of Swick’s Creekside BBQ in a Facebook statement. “There will be a next chapter. We fully intend to rebuild—and while it’s hard to see it today, we believe there is a path forward to create something even more meaningful, built with intention from the ground up”.

The owners’ downtown location, Swick’s Kitchen & Emporium, will be closed this week to allow time to regroup.

Headline photo provided by the Crawfordsville Fire Department.