Category Archives: Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

New Philadelphia, OH – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at Burger King; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire has temporarily closed the Burger King at 110 Blue Bell Dr. NW.

Firefighters from multiple municipalities responded at 5:26 a.m. The fire was accidental, according to Capt. Jim Shultz of the New Philadelphia Fire Department.

“We can’t rule out electrical or grease. Initially, an employee turned on the fryers and the hood vent, went back to get food from the freezers and upon returning saw fire coming out from behind the fryer. Their extinguishing system tripped, and the sprinkler system then went off and held the fire in check until our guys could put it out. It had extended up into the ceiling.”

Employees from Burger King could be seen loading up a rental vehicle with food to be transferred to other locations.

A woman, who identified herself as the store manager but would not give her name, said employee were being moved to other nearby Burger King locations, estimating this location could be shut down for months.

A corporate representative from Burger King on scene declined to comment on the situation.

Firefighters from New Philadelphia, Dover, Uhrichsville and medics from Smith Ambulance all responded.

No injuries were reported.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Madison, GA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in restaurant kitchen

One of Madison’s most popular restaurants, Ricardo’s Kouzzina, is closed temporarily after a kitchen fire broke out on Tuesday, Nov. 1, damaging floors and essential equipment necessary to operate the upscale eatery.

According to Owner Ricardo Casillas, a gas hose connected to one of the stoves combusted and burst into flames during the end of the lunch rush on Nov. 1.

“It was around 1:30 p.m. when the fire broke out. It got bad but we were able to evacuate all of our customers and employees quickly,” said Casillas.

According to Casillas, the restaurant’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before it spread too far beyond the kitchen. However, there is also water damage to parts of the kitchen and dining areas due to the sprinklers.

“The fire mostly damaged flooring and kitchen equipment,” said Casillas. “There was also some damage to the floors in the dining area where servers prepare drinks.”

Casillas is hoping to reopen the restaurant to the public by Nov. 17, but is not certain if that is possible.

“That’s the hope, it could be sooner or longer. It’s not really up to me,” said Casillas. “We are working with different contractors on the repairs and replacing equipment. It’s just such a busy time and a lot of contractors are behind. But we are doing everything we can and working hard to reopen to the public as soon as possible.”

Ricardo’s Kouzzina is located at 271 West Washington St. in Madison. The downtown restaurant is known for its seafood cuisine, Italian dishes, and family-friendly atmosphere.

Casillas moved to the United States from Mexico in the 1980s, first to California and eventually finding his way to Georgia in the mid-1990s. He has been a long-time chef in Athens and Madison, operating different restaurant ventures before opening Ricardo’s Kouzzina in 2013. 

Casillas said he is thankful for the community support and patience as he and his staff work to repair the restaurant after the fire.

“We look forward to opening again and getting back to what we do best,” said Casillas.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Summerville, SC – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Summerville Fire officials say a local restaurant sustained extensive heat and water damage Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in the kitchen.

No injuries were reported.

Crews were dispatched to Mad Fish restaurant at 1580 Trolley Rd. around 5:30 a.m. for reports of smoke in the area.

Upon arrival, smoke was observed coming from the restaurant and crews upgraded the call to a structure fire.

Firefighters forced entry into the building and found fire in the kitchen had activated the sprinkler system.

In addition to damage to Mad Fish, smoke spread to adjoining businesses.

Fire crews are expected to be on scene Tuesday morning with one lane of Trolley Road closed.

The cause will be investigated, fire officials said.

Mad Fish is located in the Ridgeway Plaza.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire at a Roanoke restaurant has been ruled by investigators to be electrical.

Roanoke Fire-EMS was called late the morning of September 17 to the fire on the 100 block of Campbell Avenue SE in downtown Roanoke. Crews found there had been a fire at the front of a restaurant, Cedars Lebanese Restaurant, activating the building’s sprinkler system, which put out the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Damages to the building and its contents are estimated to be $13,000, according to fire investigators.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Kingston, WA – Sprinkler system activated outside restaurant for fire caused by oily rags

Damage was limited to the building’s exterior after an automatic sprinkler system knocked down a fire that appears to have started with in a bucket of oily rags outside the Puerto Vallarta restaurant in Kingston early Sept. 12.

A fire alarm and a call from a Kitsap County sheriff’s deputy initiated a large commercial structure fire response to the Highway 104 business.

Crews arrived less than four minutes after the 3:40 a.m. dispatch, and firefighters found a small blaze on the building’s loading dock that had been mostly snuffed by the sprinkler system. Crews finished extinguishing the fire.

An investigator from the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office responded and determined that the fire likely originated in a bucket of oil-soaked rags.

According to research by the National Fire Protection Association, fire sprinklers can lower the risk of property loss by as much as 70%. NFPA recommends that oily rags be placed in a metal container filled with water and detergent, and capped with a tight-fitting lid.

Units responded from North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Poulsbo Fire Department and Puget Sound Federal Fire Department at Subase Bangor.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bend, OR – Restaurant fire extinguished by sprinkler system

An early Thursday morning fire at Broken Top Bottle Shop brought Bend Fire and Rescue to the scene.  Fire crews arrived about 4am and Battalion Chief Trish Connolly says there was no fire showing when crews arrived, so they did a walk around of the building. She says alarms were going off and people in upstairs apartments were evacuating. Connolly says crews got inside the restaurant and found a small fire that had been put out by the sprinkler system. She says there is no doubt the sprinklers saved lives and the apartments. Connolly says the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of rags that had been cleaned but still had residual oil on them.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Isla Vista, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes early morning fire at restaurant

A fire-sprinkler system extinguished a small blaze at the Su’s Bowl restaurant in Isla Vista early Saturday morning.

Personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department were dispatched at approximately 4:30 a.m. to a report of a ringing fire alarm system on the 900 block of Embarcadero Del Mar, fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said.

They found a fire-suppression sprinkler head had been activated and put out the blaze, Safechuck added.

Firefighters assisted with removal of water from the business, which had minor damage, he said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Safechuck said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Franklin, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant

Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King ruled the fire that significantly damaged the Red Pony restaurant in downtown Franklin Saturday morning was accidental.  

The cause is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. 

King said Franklin Fire Department investigators are working with private investigators hired by the property insurer. Due to structural instability, they haven’t yet been able to access all areas of the building to complete their investigation. He said they hope to have more answers later this week. 

The fire started on the lower level in the rear of the historic two-story building, located at 408 Main Street. King estimated damage at $300,000.  

“While this was a big loss to our community, the damage could have been much worse,” he said. “A combination of early detection and notification, a quick response and solid tactical decisions by firefighters, and the automatic fire sprinklers led to a positive outcome.”  

King said more fire sprinkler heads activated than investigators originally thought.  

“At least four or five fire sprinkler heads activated on the first and second floors of the building, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings,” he said.

To learn more about how to equip your building with fire sprinklers and take advantage of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, contact King at andyk@franklintn.gov or 615-550- 6752.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fast-food restaurant fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes to find people evacuating a fast-food restaurant located inside a grocery store. A fire was found coming from the commercial deep fryer controls and oil tanks. A sprinkler head had been activated as well. The firefighters completed extinguished the fire and shut the sprinkler system off. Although the fire was contained to the appliance, most of the restaurant surfaces and items were damaged or wet. As a precaution, crews turned off most of the circuit breakers. The Health Department was also requested and notified. Firefighters from Stations 26, 35, 46 and 40 responded to this incident.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Lower Merion, PA – Sprinkler system activated for restaurant fire; No injuries reported

 A fire broke out in downtown Ardmore Friday night, causing a brief interruption in the evening restaurant scene.

According to officials, firefighters from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore were called to 11 Cricket Avenue Friday night at 7:24 on the report of a fire alarm.

Arriving crews found heavy smoke in the basement of the two-story building.

The incident commander declared a working fire, and all other Lower Merion fire companies responded.

A burning electrical panel was quickly controlled by both the internal sprinkler system and by firefighters.

The fire was declared under control in 50 minutes, and there were no injuries reported.