Local
Fitchburg fire chief uses neighboring restaurants’ extinguishers to contain Puerto Rico blaze
Dante Suarez was having lunch with his wife in Luquillo during their honeymoon when smoke began pouring from a restaurant kitchen. He and restaurant staff used seven or eight extinguishers to keep the fire from spreading before firefighters arrived.
Fitchburg Fire Chief Dante Suarez was on a long-delayed honeymoon with his wife in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, when he noticed smoke coming from a nearby restaurant during lunch.
Suarez, who was not carrying firefighting gear, checked with a bartender that everyone had left the building and learned the fire was in the kitchen. The restaurant had no sprinkler or kitchen fire-suppression system, he said, so staff and Suarez relied on portable extinguishers.
As smoke thickened and heat reached the dining area, Suarez asked workers to gather extinguishers from neighboring restaurants. A bartender handed him replacements as he used them, he said. In all, the group used seven or eight extinguishers to put out the flames and cool the area enough to prevent a flare-up.
Suarez said he was concerned the fire could reach the kitchen’s ventilation system and spread through the roof. The fire remained confined to the kitchen, and everyone got out of the building.
He said the local fire department took about 30 to 40 minutes to arrive. The restaurant’s kitchen sustained significant damage, with nearly everything there needing replacement, but the owner hoped to reopen soon.
“I’m glad I could help somebody,” Suarez said.