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Fires ravage White County businesses
0310fires3
Smoke comes out of the top of the tower above Music Box Plus in downtown Helen.

Firefighters in White County were kept busy Tuesday with blazes that destroyed businesses in both downtown Cleveland and Helen. No one was injured in either fire.

The Zaxby’s restaurant on Cleveland’s South Main Street was “totally gone” after flames reached the attic space of the fast-food eatery and consumed the building, White County Fire Department spokeswoman Ana Newberry said. White County firefighters assisted theCleveland Fire Department in fighting the blaze.

Newberry said a night-duty manager still was at the restaurant shortly before 11 p.m. Monday when he smelled smoke. The restaurant was closed for business and no one was cooking at the time.

Firefighters remained on the scene of the restaurant fire overnight, putting out hot spots. Investigators still are trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, in downtown Helen, a fire broke out Tuesday morning at the Music Box Plus, a 1,000-square-foot shop that sells toy music boxes on the corner of North Main and Dye streets.

The fire, which was reported at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, took out most of the store and its contents and caused smoke damage to some adjacent shops, Newberry said.

An investigator has not yet determined a cause of the fire, but it may have been started by an electrical problem, Newberry said.