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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Downtown Steelhead Bar & Grille hopes to reopen Thursday after fire

Spokane firefighters remove a ladder after battling a small blaze Wednesday outside the Steelhead Bar & Grille kitchen in downtown Spokane. (Dan Pelle)

A downtown Spokane restaurant closed Wednesday after an overheating kitchen exhaust fan caught fire and sent flames crawling up the side of the building.

An employee taking a break outside the Steelhead Bar & Grille called 911 after spotting the fire around 1:30 p.m. Another employee tripped while trying to use a fire extinguisher and was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with some bruised ribs and possibly some minor burns on his face.

Two ladder trucks and four engines from the Spokane Fire Department sped to the building at 218 N. Howard St. Firefighters knocked down the fire, but not before it filled the kitchen with thick smoke and worried nearby patrons and employees.

“It was a big, flamey mess,” said Carly Hall, a barista at next-door Atticus Coffee & Gifts who grabbed a garden hose from the outdoor patio and sent away all of the shop’s customers.

Steelhead manager Stacey Dunn said the fire started when parts of the exhaust fan fell onto a stack of cardboard and on an air conditioner behind the restaurant. Health inspectors were surveying the kitchen, which sustained almost no damage, and insurance should cover the rest, Dunn said.

“Hopefully, we’ll be open tomorrow.”