Fire personnel work to contain a fire at Bill’s Pizzeria on Wednesday morning. PHOTO/HOPKINTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

A fire broke out at a popular downtown restaurant early Wednesday morning, causing an hour-long road closure of Main Street.

The call came in about the fire at 6:19 a.m., according to Hopkinton Police Department Lieutenant Scott van Raalten.

“It was not large at all,” he explained. “It affected the side of the building between Bill’s and Town Hall. The interior wall caught fire, and the situation is being investigated as to the exact cause.”

He added that Main Street was closed to traffic until around 7 this morning.

“There is no indication that it was arson,” van Raalten said. “There was nothing suspicious about it.”

Fire departments from several towns, including Hopkinton, responded to the blaze, he said, “which is pretty standard.”

“It’s all good now,” confirmed Bill’s owner Zach Siarkos via phone at 10 a.m.. “It was a small fire to the interior wall between us and Town Hall.

“It’s not fun, of course,” he added. “But we’re already working on the repairs. But it’s all good.”

Siarkos said the restaurant, which recently announced plans for changes, will be open for business today at 4 p.m.

In a noon phone call, Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty clarified the extent of the damage to the Independent.

“It was actually a fire that started in the exterior wall,” he explained. “It burned in between the interior and exterior walls. Because of the nature of the fire, it took us more time to take down the interior wall than it did to put out the fire.”

Daugherty added that the fire was put out “within minutes of our arrival.” Per protocol, fire departments from Ashland, Southborough, Milford and Westborough provided mutual aid.

He said it was his understanding that Bill’s would be closed today, unless the Health Department approves its opening this afternoon.

“They have to go through a cleanup process,” he said. “It would have to be inspected and get approval before opening.”

The Independent contacted Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe to determine if the inspection had occurred and was awaiting an update. He confirmed via text later that afternoon that an approval was issued.

“Fire Prevention requested a fire protection system test,” he added.

Crews work to patch the wall damaged by a fire at Bill’s Pizzeria on Wednesday. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO