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Administrator
Small fire closes Uptown restaurant over weekend
Owner says the blaze was started by an inadequate cleaning of ventilation system by an outside company.
By Joe Giordano
Staff Writer
Friday, October 06, 2006
The Oxford Fire Department responded to a fire at High Street Grill last Friday evening, which closed the restaurant over the weekend.
When the firefighters arrived at the Uptown restaurant at 8:20 p.m., the small vent fire over a wood burning stove was already extinguished. Oxford Fire Chief Len Endress explained the stove's hood suppression system smothered what he described as a "chimney fire."
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High Street Grill owner Bryan Hoelzer said the fire was likely ignited because of an outside company's inadequate cleaning of the ventilation system. He noted High Street employees did not cause the fire, and they have ended business with the vent cleaning company.
"We have since changed companies," Hoelzer said. "... We now have a company that does hood cleanings that has never had a fire."
He added the company has been around since the 1980s.
Endress said the restaurant regularly cleans its vents. He explained some "green wood," which contains more moisture than regular wood, could have caused an increased chemical buildup in the vent. Hoelzer said he has taken precautions and found a new wood supplier since the fire.
While the small blaze was not serious, Hoelzer had to close his restaurant because of the system, which doused the flames. Hoelzer explained the extinguisher system's chemicals could have contaminated the food, so they disposed of anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 worth of ingredients.
For the weekend, he said they probably lost approximately $10,000 in sales because of being closed. Hoelzer said the building suffered no structural damage. The Balcony bar above was open for business hours after the fire, he said.
High Street reopened Monday after being approved by the health department. Endress said the restaurant followed proper emergency procedures when the alarm sounded.
"They did everything right," he said. "They
evacuated all the patrons in the restaurant."
Owner says the blaze was started by an inadequate cleaning of ventilation system by an outside company.
By Joe Giordano
Staff Writer
Friday, October 06, 2006
The Oxford Fire Department responded to a fire at High Street Grill last Friday evening, which closed the restaurant over the weekend.
When the firefighters arrived at the Uptown restaurant at 8:20 p.m., the small vent fire over a wood burning stove was already extinguished. Oxford Fire Chief Len Endress explained the stove's hood suppression system smothered what he described as a "chimney fire."
Extras
Latest headlines
* Local, federal officers launch drug raids
* Apollo 11 astronaut presents $10,000 scholarship to MU senior
* Thoroughfare timeline mapped
* New policy to limit campus smoking
* MU president answers questions at press conference
High Street Grill owner Bryan Hoelzer said the fire was likely ignited because of an outside company's inadequate cleaning of the ventilation system. He noted High Street employees did not cause the fire, and they have ended business with the vent cleaning company.
"We have since changed companies," Hoelzer said. "... We now have a company that does hood cleanings that has never had a fire."
He added the company has been around since the 1980s.
Endress said the restaurant regularly cleans its vents. He explained some "green wood," which contains more moisture than regular wood, could have caused an increased chemical buildup in the vent. Hoelzer said he has taken precautions and found a new wood supplier since the fire.
While the small blaze was not serious, Hoelzer had to close his restaurant because of the system, which doused the flames. Hoelzer explained the extinguisher system's chemicals could have contaminated the food, so they disposed of anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 worth of ingredients.
For the weekend, he said they probably lost approximately $10,000 in sales because of being closed. Hoelzer said the building suffered no structural damage. The Balcony bar above was open for business hours after the fire, he said.
High Street reopened Monday after being approved by the health department. Endress said the restaurant followed proper emergency procedures when the alarm sounded.
"They did everything right," he said. "They
evacuated all the patrons in the restaurant."
