Newton Now staff
A fryer fire closed the Newton McDonald’s Thursday morning, but staff planned to have it opened in time to serve lunch.
Newton Fire and EMS responded to a fire call at the fast food restaurant at 1321 N Main Street around 8:30 a.m.
According to fire chief Steve Roberson the fire started following a contractor working on the restaurant’s deep-fat fryers.
“They apparently had a combustion problem and he was working on it,” Roberson said. “He thought it was good to go and fired it back up.”
It was not good to go.
Roberson said grease had gotten close to the combustion chamber of the fryer and started a fire in the vent system once the contractor turned the fryer on.
Fire extinguishing systems activated and a maintenance person fought the fire with an extinguisher as well.
Roberson said that when the department arrived there was just mostly smoke and they helped inspect the scene to make sure it was safe.
McDonalds closed down following the fire.
“They were going to have another contractor come in and finish up the clean up and the recharging of the system to re-open for business,” he said.
A call was placed to McDonald’s. The store said they’d be ready to go around 12:30 or so and offer lunch items such as hamburgers but not have all of their menu items available due to the fire.
