A three-alarm fire at a Spring Street restaurant prompted the evacuation of apartments above and required detours of evening commuters Monday in Morristown.
No injuries were reported at the Mega BBQ blaze, which was called in at 5:01 pm, said town Public Safety Director Michael Corcoran Jr.
Multiple callers reported flames from the roof of the two-story structure, said town Fire Chief Robert Flanagan.
Firefighters from Morris Township, Morris Plains and Madison assisted Morristown firemen, who brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes. They then spent another hour extinguishing pockets of smoke and fire, Flanagan said.
Investigators have not yet confirmed the cause. The chief said preliminary indications point to an exhaust chute near the restaurant stove. From there, the fire appears to have spread behind the wall, into the ceiling, and through the roof.
One apartment was damaged, but two others were not, Flanagan said. A mattress store and the Spring Street Community Development Corp., which flank the restaurant, also were unscathed, he said.
The Red Cross offered temporary lodgings to the tenants — their electricity was shut off — but the building’s owner came forward and put them up in a hotel, Flanagan said. He praised Morristown police for traffic control at the scene.
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