Category Archives: Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

St. Charles, MO – Overnight restaurant fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

An overnight fire caused damage to a popular restaurant in St. Charles.  Fire officials were called to Lewis and Clark’s Restaurant on South Main Street after a fire started in the kitchen just after midnight Wednesday.

St. Charles Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Casey said the building’s sprinkler system played a role in keeping the fire under control, but left behind water damage.

“Fire alarm system and sprinkler system really saved this building,” said Chief Casey. “Saved this restaurant, saved this business for the folks down here on South Main.”

The chief also said the concern with the old building was that the wood could burn fast.  “These old buildings, we have a three-story masonry building, been here for years, little worried about fire in void spaces, so we went ahead and called for a second alarm,” Chief Casey said.

The owner of the restaurant told News 4’s Paige Hulsey they plan to reopen the restaurant, but are still assessing damage and a timeline.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured during the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Henderson, NV – Overnight restaurant fire suppressed by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system prevented a fire from expanding at a Henderson restaurant early Tuesday morning. Firefighters with Henderson Fire Department arrived at Giada’s Italian Cucina, 2540 Anthem Village Drive, Suite 100, shortly after 3 a.m. to find a sprinkler system had suppressed a fire, spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.  “That’s the beauty of sprinkler systems,” Richards said.  Damage was not yet estimated, she said, adding the fire didn’t extend to other restaurants. She said it was a contents fire. Its cause was not yet known.  Giada’s is in a strip mall near South Eastern Avenue and Anthem Village Drive.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Athens, OH – Fire at popular microbrewery controlled by sprinkler system; Fire started in attached carport

Jackie O’s Production Brewery and Taproom remains standing after a fire broke out adjacent to the main building Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which was contained within a carport attached to the taproom, was started by a truck, said Deputy Service Safety Director Ron Lucas, who added that the facility’s sprinkler system had the fire “pretty much under control” by the time crews arrived on scene.  Due to the potential magnitude of the fire, the Athens Fire Department called in every firefighter on its 22-member roster. Although nobody was hurt, the possibility of the blaze spreading called for an increased firefighter presence.

“Being inside the structure, we worry that it could spread to the whole structure,” AFD Chief Rob Rymer said. “So we put out an all-call, we bring everybody in off duty to make sure it’s under control.”

As crews began to exit the scene at 25 Campbell St., Rymer was unclear as to how the truck, which is used to transport grain to local farmers, had caught fire. “It’s always difficult for vehicles to determine how it started,” Rymer said. “Sometimes you’re driving and you hear a backfire, it could be electrical.”  A group of about five patrons remained on the Jackie O’s patio as fire trucks began clearing the scene.  “We didn’t really see anything,” Kayce Carrick, one of the people on the patio, said. “We were inside, and we just smelled smoke and that was it. So we just left.” The group planned to enjoy the warm weather and finish their beers on the patio.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Harrisburg, PA – Overnight fire at popular downtown restaurant extinguished by single sprinkler

A single sprinkler saved a Harrisburg restaurant from a catastrophic fire early Friday, city Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. The fire call came in just before 2 a.m. from the Capitol Gastropub in the 300 block of North Second Street.  Only light smoke was in the building when firefighters arrived. Enterline said they found “a small fire in the basement that had been controlled and extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.”  The fire started in a plastic laundry tub filled with cleaning rags, he said. The tub was ruined and there was minor water damage, but that was it, the chief said. The damage totaled about $2,500. The restaurant was able to open without a hitch.   

“If this business did not have an operating sprinkler system to control the fire, the loss to not only the building but the lost revenue for the restaurant could have easily been in excess of $1 million,” Enterline said. “Fire sprinklers are a proven life safety and property loss reduction system that often comes under fire by the building industry as being overpriced and unnecessary.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Chelmsford, MA – Sprinklers stop spread of fire at restaurant; Neighboring business spare damage

A fire at Zesty’s Pizza in North Chelmsford left the establishment with smoke and water damage at early Monday morning.  The Fire Department responded to 10 Vinal Square at about 4:40 after a DPW worker reported the fire at Vinal Square Plaza, according to Fire Chief Gary Ryan. The fire was knocked down about an hour later, Ryan said.  Ryan said a pharmacy and cleaning business both sustained significant water damage. The owner of the pharmacy is working with his counterparts so that his customers can get the medications they need.  “The sprinkler system activated to minimize the fire damage,” Ryan said in an email. “The fire is currently being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.”  Ryan also said the department is working with other store owners, investigators and utilities to get the other businesses in the plaza up and running again, although they were not damaged by the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Nashua, NH – Grease fire at café controlled by sprinkler system

A Nashua cafe is set to reopen Friday after a fire this week. On Tuesday, a coffee roaster caught fire at the Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, fire officials said. No one was hurt.  The restaurant remained closed Thursday for cleanup. It will reopen Friday at 6 a.m., according to the owners.  The fire broke at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, triggering an overheard sprinkler that contained the flames, according to Nashua Deputy fire Chief Karl Gerhard. Workers used portable fire extinguishers, furthering containing the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Jose, CA – Fire at BBQ restaurant contained with help from sprinkler system

A two-alarm fire erupted Wednesday night at a Mi Pueblo Supermarket in East San Jose.  Firefighters responding to a report of a fire on the 1700 block of Story Road arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the store’s outdoor restaurant and roof, said San Jose fire Capt. Kevin Stidham.  A second alarm was immediately called because of the potential for the fire to spread to other businesses in the strip mall.  A build up of grease in the exhaust system of a BBQ pit was pinpointed as the cause of the fire, which spread to the roof, Stidham said. A sprinkler system helped contain the fire.  No injuries were reported.  Stidham said the store reopened after the county health department determined none of the food was damaged.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Santa Barbara, CA – Sprinkler system keeps restaurant fire from spreading

A working sprinkler system prevented a fire from spreading at a Santa Barbara restaurant early Monday morning. Santa Barbara City Fire officials said three fire engines were sent to the first block of East Anapamu Street at 5:39 a.m. for a report of smoke inside the building. Smoke was seen from outside the restaurant. Once firefighters forced their way into the building, they found the source of the fire to be in the kitchen.  Food accidentally left on the stove is believed to be the cause of the fire.  The sprinkler system activated and left two inches of water on the floor. Firefighters worked to get the water out of the restaurant.   Officials said the smoke and water damage is estimated at $10,000.  No injuries were reported. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Derry, NH – Sprinkler system contains fire at pizzeria, protects neighboring businessses

A small fire forced the evacuation of several businesses on the Londonnderry/Derry town line Monday afternoon.

A fire broke out in a back closet of Juliano’s Italian Pizzeria at 12:33 p.m., triggering the sprinkler system and sounding an alarm among all the businesses in the strip mall, including TNT Fireworks next door, said Londonderry Fire Battalion Chief Mike McQuillen.”

They had a storage closet which caught fire,” McQuillen said. “Looks like a light overheated.”

The fire was contained to the closet, and the only casualties were some rags, boxes and a shelving unit.”

The sprinkler system activated and did its job,” McQuillen added. “When we arrived we were able to extinguish the fire.”The responding fire companies were able to clear the scene exactly one hour after they left the station, at 1:33 p.m. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Galesburg, IL – Restaurant fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Galesburg firefighters responded to the report of a structure fire late Thursday morning at Crazy Buffet, 463 Grant Ave., in the Seminary Square retail development. No flames were visible upon arrival, however firefighters found light smoke coming from the roof. Dispatch received a call from the alarm company followed immediately by at least a half dozen calls from passersby saying a large volume of smoke was coming from the roof. Galesburg firefighters responded at 11:24 a.m.  “Fire units found the kitchen full of smoke,” Fire Chief Tom Simkins said in a news release. “Fire had started in wok in the grill area. The manager attempted to extinguish the fire with three hand fire extinguishers. The hood system functioned properly and knocked the fire down on the grill. However, fire had extended outside the grill and was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system which had a single head flowing on our arrival.

“Fire also extended upward into the hood duct system. It appeared the filters had not been cleaned in some time as they were packed with grease, fueling the fire. This caused extension to the roof. The aerial ladder was deployed and a hose line stretched onto the roof. ​A hydrant was needed for additional water for extinguishment.” The Knox County Health Department was notified and the business was closed pending direction from KCHD officials.   No injuries were reported. A call-back crew of five off-duty personnel handled at least three calls during the fire. Simkins said an alarm at the Pizza Ranch “most assuredly” activated due to the drop in incoming pressure in the sprinkler system due to the use of the hydrant across the street.  The fire cause is listed as accidental. The fire department reported the scene under control at 11:50 a.m. Thursday, although fire officials remained on scene to investigate.