Multiple fire departments battled a fire that broke out in subzero temperatures inside a restaurant, leaving the business temporarily closed in North Chicago, fire officials said.
The North Chicago Fire Department responded around 10:50 a.m. Saturday to the Hunan Sixth Happiness, 2705 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in North Chicago, for a report of a structure fire.
North Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Deinken said a 911 call was received for smoke coming from the restaurant.
The owner was reported to be at the establishment and also confirmed smoke in the building.
The incident was upgraded to a Working Still Alarm for additional resources to respond, Deinken said.
Fire crews arrived and found heavy smoke coming from the front door of the restaurant. Smoke was also coming from the eaves.
Deinken said firefighters pulled a hose line and entered Hunan Sixth Happiness to locate the fire.
The fire took a bit to locate and crews found it had started in the restroom area.
Firefighters pulled the ceiling and got to the seat of the fire before extinguishing it within 10-15 minutes, Deinken said. The fire also spread into the attic.
The owner and his wife were the only ones at the restaurant at the time. They were outside when crews arrived.
Deinken said no injuries were reported and firefighters remained at the scene for approximately three hours.
The Waukegan, Gurnee, Lake Bluff and Beach Park fire departments assisted at the scene while Libertyville and Lake Forest covered North Chicago’s fire station.
The restaurant was deemed unoccupiable until repairs can be made but the damage was not severe, Deinken said.
The fire occurred when temperatures were below zero. The cold weather did not contribute to any issues with fire hydrants or equipment.
Deinken said the firefighters did a good job given the cold weather conditions.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the North Chicago Fire Department.
Calls to the restaurant Thursday morning were sent directly to voicemail.