LUDLOW – A fire heavily damaged the kitchen and roof of a popular downtown restaurant, forcing it to close for the holiday weekend.
The fire at the Galo Rio restaurant, on 319 East St., was first spotted by a passerby who saw flames coming from the roof at 7:52 p.m. While firefighters were rushing to get there, several other people and a police officer also reported seeing the blaze, said Fire Capt. Ricky Machado.
When firefighters arrived, they found the kitchen and a rear room of the restaurant engulfed. The flames had also extended up through the kitchen vent and caught the roof on fire, he said.
Firefighters quickly contained the fire and kept it from spreading to the attached business. There is also an apartment building located just three feet from the building that was in danger of catching fire, Machado said.
“The only reason we were able to keep it from spreading is we were able to send a full response and they made a good stop,” he said.
Employees were in the restaurant escaped without injury. Machado was not sure if there were any customers in the Galo Rio at the time.
He said a lot of factors were in firefighters favor including the fact the fire occurred on a busy street so it was spotted quickly. A full crew was in the station at the time, so firefighters had enough manpower to keep it from spreading.
No firefighters were injured. Those off-duty were called in to assist, he said.
The dining room and front of the restaurant was not damaged in the fire. Machado could not estimate the cost of the damage but said the utilities have been shut off and a lot of repairs will be needed before it can reopen.
“I am heartbroken these people will be closed for the Fourth of July weekend. It is a popular restaurant,” he said.
The restaurant specialized in Portuguese cuisine.
The cause of the fire is expected to be investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Ludlow Fire Department, Machado said.
East Street was closed for more than an hour because of the fire.
https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/07/fire-damages-galo-rio-restaurant-in-downtown-ludlow.html 2019-07-03 04:17:00Z
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