Grease fire in the ceiling ductwork

After Grease Fire at Houlihan's Restaurant, "They'll Be Closed for a While," Fire Chief Predicts

The blaze damaged the City Avenue restaurant in Bala Cynwyd early Wednesday evening.

A grease fire that spread in ceiling ducts damaged the Houlihan's restaurant on City Avenue early Wednesday evening, officials and restaurant personnel said.

Injuries were limited to one woman being treated and released for smoke inhalation, Fire Chief Charles McGarvey said. As for the restaurant, with the damage to the restaurant from the fire and the firefighters' points of entry, "they'll be closed for a while," the chief said.

About 70 people were evacuated from the restaurant and the adjacent office building at 555 City Ave., joining the crowd of hundreds already in the parking lot for the City Avenue Special Services District's Spring Fling.

"It started as a small grease fire, and then it got up in the ceiling," said waiter Alex Esmaeili, who has worked at Houlihan's for three months. "When it started flaring up, they told everyone to get out."

Asked what he knew of the extent of the damage to his workplace, Esmaeili shrugged and replied, "There's no way to tell now."

No restaurant manager could be reached for comment.

Firefighters breached the roof and the back of the restaurant, and windows along the parking-lot side were broken out.

The fire started about 5:45 p.m., McGarvey said, and the various companies on scene knocked it down by about 6:45 p.m.

Fire investigators will further look into the cause of the blaze, the chief said.