“…The restaurant wasn’t open yet…but they likely were getting food ready for their lunch buffet when the 
fire broke out…Crews had to cut holes in the roof and also attacked the fire from inside…”
A grease fire that spread into the vents of a Kennewick restaurant prompted a large call-out of fire crews Saturday morning.
The building already had been evacuated when the first crews got on scene, but firefighters did do a sweep inside to make sure everyone was out, said Kennewick Fire Capt. Linc Swenson.
Ten units from the Kennewick, Richland and Pasco fire departments and Benton Fire District 1 were dispatched to the restaurant.
Fire crews, however, were able to get the fire contained within 10 minutes, Swenson said. It took another 10 minutes before they were sure flames hadn’t spread into the attic. “It went out with a little bit of water and quite a bit of tenacity,” Swenson said.
The biggest challenge was getting onto the roof, because of the way it’s designed and the power lines on one side of the building, he said. Fire crews were on scene for about two hours. There were no injuries. Most of the damage inside the restaurant was in the kitchen, Swenson aid.
