Posted: Friday, July 3, 2009 12:00 am
A burned-out HVAC motor was to blame for mid-day smoke Thursday in the Pizza Hut restaurant at 2215 14th Ave. S.E. in Albany.
An off-duty employee noticed smoke in the business and notified the manager, who evacuated the building and called 911.
Firefighters received the call at 12:41 p.m. and responded with 21 personnel and various vehicles.
Upon arrival, firefighters found that one of the motors in the heating and cooling system in the attic was down.
"There was really little damage other than the loss of revenue during the lunch period," said Lt. Don Schlies of the Albany Fire Department.
Firefighters cleared the scene about an hour and 10 minutes after getting the call.
An electrician was on the way when firefighters cleared, and the restaurant was OK'd to resume business.
The restaurant's estimated loss was $2,000. No injuries were reported.
AnneMarie Knepper