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Fire shuts Burger King
By John Ciampa/ Staff Writer
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A kitchen fire forced the Drum Hill Road Burger King to close its doors Friday night, as an attempt by several of the stores' employees to quell the flames unintentionally allowed the blaze to linger.
According to Chelmsford Fire Chief John Parow, three engines and six firefighters were dispatched Friday just after 4 p.m. When they arrived, heavy smoke covered much of restaurant's kitchen area.
Though Parow said firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly, a previous attempt by several kitchen workers to extinguish the flames made matters worse.
"Some workers tried to smother the flames with a pan," said Parow. "When that happened, the sprinkler system didn't engage right away."
Parow said that by blocking the flames, the workers also protected the fire from the exhaust of an overhead vent, which may have been able to control the spreading smoke it the fire was allowed to draft upward.
A manager at the Burger King said she could not comment on the matter and calls placed to Burger King's corporate office were not returned.
The building was evacuated for the rest of the evening while restaurant employees cleaned leftover residue from the fire.
It opened the next day.
"In all, it was a pretty typically grease fire for a restaurant," Parow said. "There was some good damage, though."
John Ciampa can be reached at jciampa@cnc.com
By John Ciampa/ Staff Writer
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A kitchen fire forced the Drum Hill Road Burger King to close its doors Friday night, as an attempt by several of the stores' employees to quell the flames unintentionally allowed the blaze to linger.
According to Chelmsford Fire Chief John Parow, three engines and six firefighters were dispatched Friday just after 4 p.m. When they arrived, heavy smoke covered much of restaurant's kitchen area.
Though Parow said firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly, a previous attempt by several kitchen workers to extinguish the flames made matters worse.
"Some workers tried to smother the flames with a pan," said Parow. "When that happened, the sprinkler system didn't engage right away."
Parow said that by blocking the flames, the workers also protected the fire from the exhaust of an overhead vent, which may have been able to control the spreading smoke it the fire was allowed to draft upward.
A manager at the Burger King said she could not comment on the matter and calls placed to Burger King's corporate office were not returned.
The building was evacuated for the rest of the evening while restaurant employees cleaned leftover residue from the fire.
It opened the next day.
"In all, it was a pretty typically grease fire for a restaurant," Parow said. "There was some good damage, though."
John Ciampa can be reached at jciampa@cnc.com