TAMPA, Fla. -- A fire severely damaged the kitchen area of the 4 Rivers Smokehouse restaurant in Tampa.
A fire late Tuesday night severely damaged the kitchen area of the 4 Rivers Smokehouse in Tampa.
Fire crews responded at 11:03 p.m. to an automatic fire alarm at the restaurant located at 623 S. MacDill Avenue.
Authorities say the sprinkler system put out the majority of the flames. Firefighters extinguished any flames that remained and vented smoke from the business.
The majority of the damage is isolated to the kitchen area. An employee, who was not authorized to go on camera, says a lot of restaurant's cooking equipment suffered damage.
4 Rivers Smokehouse was closed at the time the fire broke out. It is unlikely the restaurant will open for business on Thursday as management will be assessing the damage. Fire, smoke and water damage to the building is estimated at $200,000.
Firefighters found that the fire was caused by a freezer unit near the fryer area in the kitchen. The freezer was on wheels which allowed firefighters to relocate it to the exterior of the building. The automatic sprinkler system was effective in containing the fire to the area of the freezer and prevented further extension
No one was inside the building at the time and no injuries have been reported.
