A brisket on a grill was the apparent cause of a four-alarm fire in the heart of Providence Monday.
The fire badly burned the three-story brick building at 151 Weybosset St. and spread smoke across the downtown area. No serious injuries were reported, but five firefighters were taken to hospitals for observation.
Firefighters were waiting for a crane to arrive Monday night so they can knock down the roof and pour more water into the building.
Fire Chief David Costa said the fire became trapped in a void between the first and second floors, which hampered firefighters' initial efforts to get at the flames.
The chief ordered firefighters out of the building, fearing that heavy equipment on the third floor could cause the building to collapse.
"A couple of the walls are bowing out. We've had a collapse on the interior," Costa said. "The building's a total loss at this point."
The owners of Downcity Food + Cocktails on the ground floor said the fire began in the kitchen at about 6:45 a.m. as the cook was working on a catering job.
"It was a brisket on the grill that just caught on fire and went up into the salamander ... Then, it went behind the wall, and then the building went up," co-owner Abby Cabral said. A salamander is a kitchen appliance similar to a toaster oven.
Joseph Yglesias, the owner of Evolution Body Piercing , said he's been in the building for more than six years.
"My entire income, my entire ability to support myself is sitting there in a building about to be demolished," Yglesias said.
Surrounding office buildings were evacuated because of the heavy smoke.
"At least everyone's all right. No one was hurt, that was the main thing," restaurant co-owner Rico Conforti said. "Everything else can be rebuilt."
A dance studio is located on the top floor, and the second floor is vacant.
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