A chemical reaction touched off a fire at one of the oldest and most popular Italian restaurants in Des Moines.
Brian O'Keefe, of the Des Moines Fire Department, told NewsChannel 8 that the fire at Noah's Ark was caused by spontaneous ignition of cleaning solution on rags in the restaurant's laundry room.
O'Keefe said that workers were finished doing three loads of laundry at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, and the rags were left in a pile. A chemical reaction then sparked the blaze.
The fire resulted in $100,000 in damage. The restaurant's storage area and a break room were charred. Most of the damage is limited to the second floor.
The owner said his No. 1 priority is to reopen.
Previous Stories:
- February 21, 2006: Noah's Works To Rebuild After Fire
- February 20, 2006: Noah's Ark Owner Says He'll Reopen
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