2-alarm fire rips through West Manchester Township roller skating center
Mr. Q's Family Skate Center was supposed to host a special afternoon skate Monday in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
Instead, the community that supported the West Manchester Township facility for the last five years took to Facebook to talk about how much it will be missed.
Mr. Q's, owned by Frank Quintin, is a complete loss after a two-alarm fire ripped through it Sunday night. Hot spots could be seen Monday morning, 12 hours after the fire was spotted.
"You leave, you close up, you think nothing," Quintin said Monday of closing the center at 5 p.m. Sunday. "This wasn't just a business to make money, it was our life."
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"It was fully involved when we got here around 7 (p.m.)," West Manchester Township Fire Chief Cliff Laughman said on Monday. "Public works was out plowing the streets, and they came up to the firehouse and said there was a fire."
Laughman said because of the construction of the building, and the amount of fire, their only option was to keep it defensive. That means they kept an eye on neighboring buildings, a mix of residential and commercial properties.
The skating rink was in the former Lincolnway Bowling Alley on North Fayette Street.
Laughman said there was no damage to other buildings, and no injuries were reported. There was no immediate estimate on damages or a cause.
Frank Quintin Jr., owner of Roll 'R' Way York, said his father "put everything he had into that building" since opening it five years ago. The Quintin family has owned skating rinks in central Pennsylvania for more than 50 years, including several Roll 'R' Way facilities in York County.
Quintin Jr. said it's too early to say if his father will rebuild the skating center.
Many of the dozens of people who commented on the Facebook page hope he does.
"Please return to the community," TJ Rudy wrote under the post advertising Monday's special skate.
"My granddaughter loved going there. Her and her daddy went a lot. I hope you guys can rebuild," Deborah Knaub wrote.
Tara Masimore said she is "heartbroken over the news. We loved coming to your establishment and always had a good time."
A quick scroll through their Facebook page shows a variety of events from Mr. Q's. Kids of all ages wearing skates in bright colors mixed in with photos from private parties and open skates. And it doesn't look like there was an area Halloween parade in which they didn't participate.
"My son thinks of Mr. Q's as family," Jodie Adams wrote on Facebook. "Thank you for the memories that so many kids will forever cherish. We hope you choose to rebuild."
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Total loss: Fire destroys popular York County roller skating center
