Staff Reports
A local restaurant has closed for repairs after a report of smoke in the building at 10:06 a.m. Saturday.
Columbus firefighters were sent to Amazing Joe’s restaurant, 2607 Central Ave., about a fire after employees discovered smoke inside the building as they were preparing to open for lunch.
Columbus Police Department officers were first to arrive on the scene and reported smoke and flames were visible at a parapet wall above the main entrance to the building, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
Firefighters arrived on the scene and confirmed with restaurant staff that all occupants were clear of the building. The department’s ladder truck was used to gain access to the building’s roof.
On the roof, firefighters located the fire in the parapet wall and utilized saws and axes to access the void space within the wall so that an inspection of the area could be completed and water streams could be directed to extinguish the flames, Wilson said.
On the interior of the building, light smoke lingered within the dining area. Firefighters working on the interior deployed canvas tarps to protected the seating area from water damage and falling debris from the interior ceiling.
The fire was under control within 10 minutes of firefighters arrival. On the roof, firefighters found evidence of bird nests near an abandoned electrical line located within the parapet wall and origin of the fire, Wilson said. Fire department inspectors believe the fire began within the wall when electrical arcing ignited combustible materials. Investigators have ruled the fire cause as accidental.
No injuries were reported. The restaurant will remain closed until repairs are made and additional inspections are completed by the Bartholomew County Department of Health, as is protocol with eating establishment fires, Wilson said. Damages from fire were minimal.
Water damages to the interior of the building were isolated to a small section of the dining area directly above the origin of fire.
Agencies that assisted at the scene include the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Regional Health EMS, Columbus City Utilities, CenterPoint Energy and Duke Energy.
