OGDEN, Utah, Aug. 31, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The owners of Ogden’s historic Topper Bakery issued a statement early Tuesday, about eight hours after firefighters were called to the scene of the burning business.
“It is with a sad heart that I report that Topper Bakery caught on fire late last night!,” says the message issued by the owners of the 1939 bake shop. “They are still trying to figure out the damages and what happened.
“Needless to say we will not be open for business for a while. Thank you for all of your support over the years! We will keep you posted on what is going on and when we can reopen. Sorry for any inconveniences this will cause so many of our customers.”
Ogden City Fire crews arrived at the scene, east of downtown at 2516 S. Monroe Blvd., at 10:07 p.m. Monday. They found heavy smoke billowing from the roof.
Moments later, heavy flames broke out, forcing crews to transition to “defensive tactics,” according to an Ogden FD tweet.
A ladder truck was used to pour water on the fire, and crews were able to re-enter the business. At 10:45 p.m., an all-clear was declared as teams determined no one had been inside.
Firefighters were still working to completely extinguish the flames as of 11:30 p.m. and said a cause for the fire has yet to be determined.
Residents from nearby homes watched the firefighting efforts. Travis Pate told Gephardt Daily he loved the bakery, calling it an Ogden institution.
“Topper Bakery has been a part of my family since before I was born,” Pate said. “The family was friends with my mom. They even gave my mom a cake when she brought me and my twin brother home from the hospital 51 years ago.
“It’s been here since 1939. I’m hoping that it will be rebuilt,” he said.
Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Mike Slater said it was too early to tell how the fire started, but the structure was likely a total loss.
“It’s truly tragic,” Slater said. “Topper Bakery has been a staple in Ogden for 82 years. They help us with city functions. I just know they’ve been around a lot longer than I’ve been around, so it’s kind of sad to see this happen.”
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
