BANGOR, Maine — A chimney fire forced the evacuation of a downtown building housing a popular restaurant late Wednesday morning.
City firefighters were sent to 16-18 Broad St. shortly after 11:15 a.m. after receiving reports of “heavy smoke in the downtown area,” Bangor Fire Chief Tom Higgins said.
Firefighters arrived within a minute, Higgins said, and found smoke and flames inside the ductwork of the metal chimney.
Employees of the restaurant Blaze heard alarms go off but didn’t see any flames or smoke until they exited the building, according to Will Smith, who was working along with about seven others when the fire broke out.
“We were just opening up,” Smith said.
Smith, his co-workers and a handful of customers left the building.
“Everyone got out quickly and safely,” he said.
Higgins said the metal chimney and ductwork extend the height of the four-story building and crews had to bring in a ladder truck to extinguish the fire.
The fire appears to have started in the shaft that ventilates from the hood over the grill used to cook burgers and steaks, according to employees.
“Just an accidental fire with some buildup in it, much like a chimney fire that would be in a [residential] home,” Higgins said.
None of the adjacent downtown businesses or restaurants were evacuated, Higgins said. Bangor police assisted firefighters with traffic control.
No mutual aid from other communities was required. Higgins said the city’s Code Enforcement will conduct an inspection.
Watch bangordailynews.com for updates.
BDN writers Ryan McLaughlin and Nick McCrea contributed to this report.