Crime & Safety

Fire Forces Evacuation of Gabriel's Restaurant

Sign on the exterior of the building catches fire Saturday night, forcing evacuation of restaurant, apartments, fire commissioner said.

Gabriel's Restaurant and several apartments were evacuated after a sign on the exterior of the building caught fire Saturday night, Fire Commissioner Steve Toth said.

A passing motorist notified police that an exterior sign attached to the building was on fire, Toth said.

John Gabriel, who is the third-generation owner of the restaurant and chief of Fire Company 2 was in the kitchen cooking at the time the fire was reported, Toth said. He heard the call come in on his radio.

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Arriving firefighters found the sign and the sides of the second and third floors of the building on fire, Toth said.

Gabriel ensured the restaurant and the residential apartments on the second and third floors were evacuated, Toth said. 

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Firefighters quickly put out the fire on the exterior of the building and opened the exterior walls of the third floor to extinguish the rest of the fire, Toth said.

Toth did not say what caused the fire.

No injuries were reported, Toth said.

"Due to the quick response and knock down, the building sustained minimal fire damage and minor smoke and water damage," Toth said. 

Fire Companies 1, 5, and 2 responded to the blaze.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.


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