DANVERS — Daily Harvest Cafe had to be evacuated early Friday afternoon after a fire broke out in a dumpster and the flames extended to the building.
The popular cafe is located at 103 High St. in Danvers.
The fire was initially reported shortly before 1 p.m., according to online reports, and the flames were mostly knocked down within several minutes.
Photos from the scene show some damage to the exterior in the rear of the building, but the cafe owner said the flames did not penetrate the walls.
Longtime owner Brittany Raesly told a photographer at the scene that one of the dumpsters caught on fire. Images from the scene show multiple Republic Services dumpsters for trash and recycling in back of the building.
“They’ll do an inspection and find out the reason,” Raesly said, in regard to the exact cause of the blaze, “…but the surplus of recycling and cardboard and trash can’t help. I just don’t know what to say, I’m in shock.”
She said she was hopeful the restaurant would be able to reopen later Friday. She indicated any prolonged closure would be very difficult to deal with. “This is my livelihood.”
Raesly said it had been over a week since the dumpsters were last emptied by Republic — and that was only after having to call, scream at them and fight with them in order to get Republic there.
“We had so much trash, we couldn’t fit it on top; we’re piling it super high, and it was just like falling,” she said.
A note late Friday afternoon on the Daily Harvest Cafe website indicated it was closed for the remainder of the day Friday but planned to reopen Saturday.