Firefighters extinguish fire in ‘Ele‘ele restaurant

Kaua‘i firefighters extinguished a fire that broke out late Monday night in the No. 1 Chinese and BBQ restaurant located at ‘Ele‘ele Shopping Center.

No occupants were in the building at the time and no injuries were reported.

First responders were dispatched to the restaurant at approximately 11:20 p.m. Hanapēpē, Kalāheo, Waimea, and Līhu‘e firefighters, along with the on-duty battalion chief responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, police on scene reported seeing smoke and flames in the kitchen area. Firefighters used forcible entry to access the interior of the structure. Once inside, they located a commercial kitchen stove and hood on fire, and quickly extinguished all flames.

Firefighters checked the building’s attic for any fire extension, but no signs were seen. They continued to ventilate the structure with fans and turned off power to the building.

Firefighters with the Fire Prevention Bureau arrived on scene to conduct an investigation. Damages to the structure and its contents are estimated to be roughly $50,000.

The investigation remains ongoing.