A Lake Leelanau landmark will be shut down until further notice due to a fire that broke out there Tuesday evening.

At 9:46pm last night, Leland Township Fire & Rescue announced on Facebook that it had dispatched firefighters to NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau at 6:31pm Tuesday evening. Per the post, a caller had “reported to the Leelanau County 911 center there was smoke in the building and a fire near the south end of the building,” prompting the emergency response.

“Engine 511 responded with two on-duty firefighters, from our Lake Leelanau Fire Station, and arrived about 3 minutes later,” the post continued. “The shift commander, Sgt. Greg Johnson, confirmed a working fire in the commercial building and immediately requested a ‘second alarm’ calling for more resources from elsewhere in the county. As other resources arrived a plan of attack was implemented and firefighters quickly got to work.

“Crews battled smoke and heat to find the fire - preventing it from spreading further - and worked to extinguish it. Firefighters then continued to search for hidden fires, protected exposures, and confirmed everything was out using technology and overhaul techniques. At 7:36pm the fire was deemed out. Crews wrapped up the scene and cleaned up their equipment clearing the scene at 8:56pm.”

Per Leland Township Fire & Rescue, the NJ’s Grocery building has sustained damage, which will require the business to close its doors “for some time.” The cause of the fire has “not been determined” at this time, but Leland Township Fire & Rescue hopes to work with NJ's owner Sam Chugh “so he, and his employees, can reopen his business and get back on their feet quickly.”

A little later in the evening, at 10:57pm, NJ’s Grocery shared a short announcement about the fire on its own Facebook page.

“Because of Fire tonight, we will be closed until further notice,” that post said. “Thank you all for the love and support. No one was hurt. We will update as the situation evolves.”

Beyond its status as the “mini supermarket” of Lake Leelanau – the store stocks beer, wine, spirits, meat, produce, snacks, and other groceries – NJ’s has built a strong reputation locally for its house-made Indian food.