The Village Garden Restaurant on West Main in Salem was filled with smoke overnight after a pan with sauce was left on a stove burner.
Salem Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Bill Fulton says smoke was pouring from the pan as they entered the building. He believes there may have been a small fire that burned itself out before their arrival, but any fire was confined to the pan.
Firemen were able to clear the smoke from the building without any lasting damage.
Fulton says the smoke also made its way to a roof top vent where it was scene by a Salem Police officer who arrived on the scene before the fire department. Firemen checked the roof to make sure the fire had not spread, which fortunately turned out to be the case.
The fire call came in around midnight with firemen on the scene about an hour. Odin provided automatic mutual aid while Kell Firemen covered the Salem Fire Station in the event of another fire. The Centralia Fire Protection District was originally called for another aerial truck but was cancelled once it was learned the fire was confined to the pot.
