A smoker fire at Jerky’s Spicy Chicken and More forced the closure of that restaurant and neighboring EJ’s Eats and Drinks on Wednesday.
John Walker Jr., owner of Jerky’s at 521 Center St., said the contained fire was noticed by restaurant staff members about 10:30 a.m. as a result of a ventilation issue with the smoker, which had been in use for about 20 minutes.
"[The fire] stayed within the confines of the smoker itself," he said.
The restaurant sustained water damage after sprinklers doused the kitchen area of Jerky's, though it will likely reopen by Thursday, Walker said.
Next door at 523 Center St., EJ’s Eats and Drinks staff were mopping up water originating from the restaurant’s sprinkler system shortly before what would normally be the lunch hour.
Kristi Pruett, the restaurant’s general manager, said EJ’s was expected to reopen for dinner service Wednesday evening.