[Press Release] : Midday fire closes local downtown restaurant

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Chief Steven Sapp - (573) 874-7557

Midday fire closes local downtown restaurant

COLUMBIA, MO (May 13, 2007) - The Columbia Fire Department responded to
a report of a commercial structure fire at 1:33 p.m. on Sunday, May 13,
at 1101 East Broadway, the Rasoi India House Restaurant. 

Responding fire units from Fire Station No. 1 at Ash and 10th streets
reported moderate smoke in the 1100 block of Broadway seen when they
left the station. 

Arriving fire units found moderate smoke coming from the front door of
the restaurant and noted that it appeared all patrons and staff had
evacuated. Other arriving units took up positions in the alley and noted
active fire from the ventilation/exhaust hood at the rear of the
building. 

Interior crews using thermal imaging cameras observed the fire appeared
to be contained to the exhaust hood and flue pipe which ran from the
ground level to the roof of the two-story building. 

Firefighters ventilated smoke from the restaurant and checked the roof
of the building and the adjoining building for fire spread. No
involvement of the roof of the restaurant or the adjoining building was
found. 

Firefighters were told that the employees of the restaurant discharged
a multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher into the exhaust hood and duct
prior to the fire department arriving. The fire burned itself out in
about five minutes. 

Fire investigators determined that there were multiple issues involved
in the cause of the fire. The cooking equipment being used was not
protected, as required by local codes, by an automatic extinguishing
system; the exhaust hood was not of the proper type; and finally, the
exhaust hood, filters and ducts were laden with grease which caught fire
and traveled up the flue. 

Damage to the structure was confined to smoke damage. Damage to the
cooking equipment, exhaust hoods and flue are estimated at $20,000. The
Columbia/Boone County Health Department was also called to the scene, as
is standard practice when a restaurant is involved in a fire. 

The restaurant will be closed until upgrades and repairs can be made to
the cooking equipment, hood exhaust system and flue. 

- 30 -
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