Kitchen Fire Closes Restaurant for Several Hours

City of Madison firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at a fast service restaurant Sunday, May 13. Crews were dispatched to 4687 Verona Road at 8:47 a.m. Upon arrival, Ladder Company 7 observed smoke from the roof of the structure. When they entered the structure, they found a small fire in the deep fryer that had spread into the overhead hood system. The restaurant manager had contained the fire with an extinguisher, but the smoke had vented from the hood system into the roof. Firefighters worked quickly to clear the smoke and prevent further extension of the damage. As is customary in restaurant fires, the public health department was notified of the fire. The restaurant was closed for several hours to ensure safety of both the building and the food. The restaurant reopened Sunday afternoon. Most of the damage was from smoke, and restaurant employees were quick to manage the clean-up. The fire investigator at the scene says the fire appears to be unintentional. Damage estimates are still being calculated. No one was injured.