By Susan DeMar Lafferty
The Daily Southtown
EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. — Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in a Saturday morning fire that swept through the kitchen and collapsed a roof at Barraco’s Pizza in Evergreen Park, Fire Chief Ron Kleinhaus said.
The building, at 3701 W. 95th Street, was evacuated when firefighters realized the roof over the kitchen area was sagging, and they went into a defensive mode, Kleinhaus said.
“A building can always be fixed,” Kleinhaus said. “Thankfully the injuries were minor.”
An Evergreen Park firefighter suffered a concussion when a water stream on the roof hit him in the back of the head, knocking his helmet off, and a Chicago Ridge firefighter injured his arm, the chief said. Both were treated and released at a nearby hospital.
About 100 firefighters from at least 12 departments helped battle the blaze that started when a broaster caught fire in the kitchen and spread into the ceiling and vents, Kleinhaus said.
There were about six to eight employees in the restaurant preparing for the day, at the time the fire broke out at 5:40 a.m., but all got out safely, he said.
The kitchen was extensively damaged, and the dining room and bar area had significant smoke and water damage. The adjacent Naples Bakery had minor water and smoke damage, and they were able to salvage their wedding cakes, Kleinhaus said.
This is the second such fire at the restaurant. There was a similar incident in 1999, which also started in the kitchen, but Saturday’s fire “did quite a bit more damage,” he said.
Fire crews remained on the scene until after 11 a.m. Saturday, and returned again later for a rubbish fire behind the building, he said.
“It’s a terrible loss for the Barraco family and the community,” the chief said.
Kleinhaus returned to the restaurant later in the day and said many customers stopped by to offer their support.
“They have a lot of loyal customers and I know they are chomping at the bit to re-open,” he said.
Customers said they would support the business by continuing to order from them. Barraco’s has other locations on 111th Street in Mount Greenwood, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Crestwood and Burbank.
"(The) Barrocos are a fine family. They do a lot of charity work,” Kleinhaus said. “I hope their other businesses will keep them going.”
Copyright 2016 The Daily Southtown