By Hannah Schoenbaum and Sarah Brumfield
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Three firefighters were injured after a fire that started in a restaurant’s kitchen scorched century-old buildings in Salt Lake City’s nightlife hub, officials said Tuesday.
Firefighters were dispatched to a cooking fire at the London Belle Supper Club on Monday night and found smoke and fire in the kitchen area, Salt Lake City Fire Chief Karl Lieb said at a news conference. The heat and smoke created a challenging environment, and because it was unsafe to keep firefighters inside or on the roof, where they normally start their attack, they fought the fire with aerial devices, he said.
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“The firefighters did a tremendous job fighting this fire, particularly given the speed at which it spread, the fuel that was available to it and the intensity,” Lieb said.
One of the injured firefighters had a broken ankle; another was suffering from smoke inhalation, dehydration and nausea; and the third was injured by falling debris and was trapped briefly against a chain link fence, Lieb said. There were about 78 firefighters on the scene, he said.
Officials estimate about $5 million in losses through the five affected buildings and associated damage, Lieb said. The investigation of the fire could take weeks.
Jason Andersen, the chef de cuisine at Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining, had just left for the night when his sous-chef called in a panic, saying the block was ablaze and everyone was evacuating. Andersen rushed back. He couldn’t get close, but the sous-chef described in real time how the fire quickly became an inferno, blasting through windows and sending smoke and debris into the air.
Andersen, who has worked at the bar and restaurant for seven years, stood teary-eyed at a police barricade Tuesday morning as the smell of smoke lingered in the air. All that remained inside was a pile of charred planks. Now navigating sudden unemployment, Andersen joked with others to cut through the pain: “I left my knives in there!”
“I’m stressed, but mostly in shock right now,” Andersen said. “It was like home, a family. We were always there for each other, and now our home has burned to the ground.”
Mayor Erin Mendenhall described the fire as “a tragic loss” for the city, calling the buildings that burned “iconic businesses in our downtown core” that she hopes will return to the block.
“Los Tapatios, London Belle, White Horse and Whiskey Street are at the heart of what Salt Lake City’s downtown vibe is,” Mendenhall said. “And I think there’s a lot of tears being shared among Salt Lakers that see the devastating damage here.”
The city will work with the businesses to provide no-interest loans to help cover some of the costs once they get their insurance assessments back, Mendenhall said.
The fire destroyed buildings that date back to 1920 and are “home to beloved local businesses and gathering places that bring life, culture, and connection to our community,” the Downtown Alliance said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the effects will “ripple far beyond the walls of the impacted property.” The alliance, which represents 2,500 businesses and building owners in the central business district, said the affected property owners have said they intend to rebuild.
“This commitment gives us hope as we look toward restoring the vitality of this block,” the alliance said.
The alliance thanked first responders who contained the fire, protected nearby buildings and made sure customers and employees evacuated safely.
