Bar fire deliberately set, fire department says

YOUNGSTOWN — A fire deliberately set at the former Nyabinghi bar at 1229 Salt Springs Road did $5,000 damage to the property, reports show. Utilities were off prior to the fire called in around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Records show the building involved in a bank foreclosure and delinquent taxes of $2,898.

Firefighters said footprints could be seen in the snow going to and from a side door. Damage was confined to a stage area of the business listed as Pope’s Pub on fire reports. Vindicator files show the bar’s last night was New Year’s Eve. Photos of the structure were not possible due to the amount of steam caused by low temperature, the fire department said.

Elsewhere, a cigarette may be the cause of a fire at 735 Palmer Ave. on the South Side at 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, the fire department said. The occupant said she thought she put the cigarette out before she placed it on a windowsill. The window area caught on fire and did $6,000 damage to the property and contents, reports show.