On February 26, to the horror of many Wayne Hills High School students, a fire started inside the Starbucks on Route 23 South. Many Wayne Hills go to Starbucks before school and during lunch, so the fire caused quite a bit of panic. Since Starbucks caught fire, Nothing Bundt Cakes, a cake shop located in the same building as Starbucks, was also at risk.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported, as Starbucks employees and Nothing Bunt Cakes employees evacuated the building in time. According to TAPinto Wayne’s article titled Fire Closes Starbucks and Nothing Bundt Cakes on 23 in Wayne, “the official cause of the fire remains under investigation by the township Fire Bureau [however] it appears… that a fire started in an undercounter refrigerator, igniting the counter and all the surrounding materials,’ [Wayne Fire Commissioner Dave] Citer said.

The Firefighters quickly put out the fire, and afterward, they continued to check the building for any additional smoke or embers that could have reignited.

Even though no one was injured, the building suffered from heavy smoke damage, and Starbucks specifically suffered damage to the whole front of the store. Nothing Bundt Cakes was closed for a few days while cleaning was done. However, there is still no official announcement regarding the reopening of Starbucks.

In the meantime, Wayne Hills students can continue to purchase their daily Starbucks at the Hamburg Turnpike location, which is rather convenient as it is much closer to the school.