St. Clair Township's Fire Chief says an underhood extinguishing system was instrumental in preventing a grease fire from spreading out of control Friday night.
At around 11:50 p.m., firefighters from three stations were called to the St Clair Riverview Bar and Grill at 1548 St. Clair Parkway in Courtright.
Chief Richard Boyes said they encountered heavy smoke upon arrival.
"The restaurant had already been closed for the evening and the fire was called in by a passerby," said Boyes. "All restaurants with deep fryers are required to have underhood extinguishing systems. In this case, it did exactly as designed. Ultimately, the damage in the restaurant is from some smoke and dry chemical migration from the extinguisher."
Boyes said there's no structural damage, but a deep cleaning needs to be done which could cost about $20,000.
He said they're still trying to determine what exactly ignited the grease fire.
One person living in an apartment above the restaurant was treated on scene for smoke inhalation by Lambton EMS.