The Boston Fire Department reports a two-alarm fire that broke out shortly after 7 p.m. shut down Olives Restaurant at 10 City Square and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
The department says firefighters arrived to find fire coming out of external ductwork on the third floor of the six-floor building and from the roof. Inside the building, most of the damage was due to smoke and water running down the ducts into the restaurant from the hoses used to battle the blaze.
Given all the costly lawsuits he’s been hit with recently, Todd English might want to swap his spatula for a scrubber and start cleaning out the ducts of his restaurants.
In 2001, a grease fire in some dirty ducts shut down his Olives eatery in Charlestown. In 2007, fire officials say it happened there again. In 2008, a grease fire in the exhaust duct at Figs, English’s Beacon Hill pizzeria, forced that restaurant to close temporarily. And now Olives is closed again, after fire officials said another grease fire in the ducts there Thursday night caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
Nobody was hurt, but diners and staff were evacuated. According to Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve McDonald, the fire broke out at 7:19 p.m. and was caused by “failure to clean, something that is fairly common in restaurants.’’ Especially, apparently, at English’s restaurants.
The grease buildup was ignited by gases from cooking in the kitchen, MacDonald said. From there, flames and smoke spread up the ductwork into an exhaust fan.
English, whose restaurant empire has faced an array of lawsuits, mostly over unpaid bills, could not be reached for comment. Olives spokeswoman Lindsey Valdez called it a “small chimney fire’’ and said there was more smoke than anything else.
A crew from Belfor Property Restoration was on site yesterday inspecting the restaurant. Belfor’s Pete Santiago said the basement, where offices and bathrooms are located, and the kitchen were the most affected by the fire. “It could take two or three weeks, depending on how we see it,’’ Santiago said of a timetable for clean up. He said some light demolition repairs might be necessary.
MacDonald said he expected there would be no citations for Olives. State regulations say restaurants must have their ducts cleaned quarterly and cleared of grease buildup.
Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems Since 1971
5734 Bankfield Avenue
Culver City, California 90230
310-636-8361 x 203
Grant Mogford
The department says firefighters arrived to find fire coming out of external ductwork on the third floor of the six-floor building and from the roof. Inside the building, most of the damage was due to smoke and water running down the ducts into the restaurant from the hoses used to battle the blaze.
Given all the costly lawsuits he’s been hit with recently, Todd English might want to swap his spatula for a scrubber and start cleaning out the ducts of his restaurants.
In 2001, a grease fire in some dirty ducts shut down his Olives eatery in Charlestown. In 2007, fire officials say it happened there again. In 2008, a grease fire in the exhaust duct at Figs, English’s Beacon Hill pizzeria, forced that restaurant to close temporarily. And now Olives is closed again, after fire officials said another grease fire in the ducts there Thursday night caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
Nobody was hurt, but diners and staff were evacuated. According to Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve McDonald, the fire broke out at 7:19 p.m. and was caused by “failure to clean, something that is fairly common in restaurants.’’ Especially, apparently, at English’s restaurants.
The grease buildup was ignited by gases from cooking in the kitchen, MacDonald said. From there, flames and smoke spread up the ductwork into an exhaust fan.
English, whose restaurant empire has faced an array of lawsuits, mostly over unpaid bills, could not be reached for comment. Olives spokeswoman Lindsey Valdez called it a “small chimney fire’’ and said there was more smoke than anything else.
A crew from Belfor Property Restoration was on site yesterday inspecting the restaurant. Belfor’s Pete Santiago said the basement, where offices and bathrooms are located, and the kitchen were the most affected by the fire. “It could take two or three weeks, depending on how we see it,’’ Santiago said of a timetable for clean up. He said some light demolition repairs might be necessary.
MacDonald said he expected there would be no citations for Olives. State regulations say restaurants must have their ducts cleaned quarterly and cleared of grease buildup.
Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems Since 1971
5734 Bankfield Avenue
Culver City, California 90230
310-636-8361 x 203
Grant Mogford
