Colo. firefighter injured while battling restaurant blaze

Brooke Nevins
The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — One firefighter was injured while responding to a restaurant fire in northeast Colorado Springs early Thursday morning, the Colorado Springs Fire Department said.

Around 12:30 a.m., CSFD said crews were responding to Gunther Toody's diner, located near the intersection of Woodmen Road and Powers Boulevard, for reported fire and smoke coming from the inside of the building.

"They were able to initially knock down the fire that was in the back of the building, but at some point in there, the fire grew a little bit bigger than what they had initially seen, so we had to pull those initial firefighters out," fire department spokesman Capt. Michael Smaldino told Gazette news partner KKTV.

The department said one firefighter was injured in the leg during the fire and was transported to the hospital in "stable condition."

Crews said the blaze was under control around 1:45 a.m.

Smaldino told KKTV that the restaurant likely sustained "extensive damage" inside. The department said it is investigating what caused the fire, but has ruled out arson, according to KKTV.

The station reported that crews could be on scene until noon Thursday.

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