photo by CFD
Several LongHorn Steakhouse employees acted fast Sunday morning when a fire in the kitchen got out of control, safely exiting the restaurant and calling 911 for help.
Multiple CFD Red Shift companies responded to the business at 5771 Brainerd Road. The kitchen hood was on fire and flames were coming through the hood vent on the roof. A second alarm was called to bring additional staffing and resources to the scene.
The restaurant was closed at the time. Staff members were inside preparing to open at 11 a.m. for lunch and indicated that the fire started over the chargrill. Firefighters made an interior attack and located fire in the kitchen area as well as the attic space. They extinguished the fire by 10:45 a.m. and then launched salvage and overhaul operations. It was complex because fire made its way to different void spaces in the roof so extensive work was done to make sure all of the flames were fully extinguished. There no injuries.
The business will be closed for the time being following the accidental fire.
“The most important thing is the safety of our team," said LongHorn director of operations. "We are so glad that everyone made it out and that they’re alright. We look forward to serving the public again as soon as possible."
This was the second restaurant fire CFD crews worked Sunday morning. At 6:23 a.m., Blue Shift crews responded to a small fire in the kitchen at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen on Gunbarrel Road. The sprinkler system in the restaurant activated and kept flames from spreading throughout the business.
The CFD was notified to respond and finished putting the fire out. It appears oily rags smoldered and ignited.
Cheddar’s was closed at the time. The fire was unintentional and accidental and caused minor damage to the structure.