The popular
Lone Star Texas Grill
in the ByWard Market is expected to be closed for an “undetermined” amount of time following a stubborn blaze in the building housing the restaurant and other businesses.
Smoke was spotted at the top of the three-storey building at the intersection of Dalhousie and George streets just before 10 a.m.
Ottawa Fire Services
said on social media that they received a call from a monitoring company reporting active fire alarms at the restaurant. Subsequent 9-1-1 callers reported smoke in the area.
Crews moved a hose line into the structure, finding the fire in the restaurant kitchen.
“The flames were originating from a large commercial stove and were extending up the rear wall into the ventilation system.”
Firefighters initially deployed a CO2 extinguisher, but deemed it insufficient to extinguish the flames. A hose line was then used to suppress the fire.
An aerial ladder outside the building allowed firefighters to access the roof and extinguish the fire within the ventilation system from above.
Early reports indicated a person might be inside a stairwell, but two searches by firefighters confirmed that all occupants were safe.
Crews cut inspection holes into the ventilation system to check for fire extension and applied water to all affected areas to ensure complete extinguishment and cooling.
The fire was declared under control at 10:16 a.m. It was contained to the commercial stove and associated ventilation systems.
Extensive ventilation operations were conducted using high-pressure fans to remove residual smoke from the building. Air quality was monitored and confirmed safe before allowing office workers to re-enter.
A health inspector also attended the scene, standard procedure following a commercial kitchen fire.
There were no reported injuries.
An investigator has been dispatched to determine the cause of the fire.
