Fire temporarily closes Sunset McDonalds Tuesday

ROCK SPRINGS – A fryer fire at the McDonald's restaurant on Sunset Drive Tuesday morning led to a temporary closure while firefighters dealt with the blaze.

According to the Rock Springs Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at 6:47 a.m. The initial report indicated that restaurant staff were evacuating the building due to a fire in one of the fryers. The RSFD intervened with three trucks and nine firefighters. Firefighters entered the building without seeing anything outside the building. Once inside, they discovered an active fryer fire in the kitchen, which was then put out using a portable fire extinguisher.

The fire was considered extinguished at 7 a.m. and no damage was caused to the building as the fire was contained to the fryer and the heat was exhausted through the extractor hood. No injuries were reported and the restaurant reopened at 9:30 a.m.

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RSFD Fire Chief Jim Wamsley said there was no great concern that the building was engulfed in flames due to the fire suppression systems inside the building . He admits there is always a chance a fire could spread, but the firefighters' concern was whether the building was evacuated. Wamsley said the RSFD's approach to a restaurant fire is no different than other types of structure fires. He said part of basic firefighter and officer training involves strategy and tactics, saying firefighters assess the type of construction a building has, whether everyone has been evacuated and the area surrounding the building to formulate their firefighting strategy.

The fire department commends restaurant staff for their quick response in evacuating the building and informing firefighters of the situation upon their arrival.