Victoria,TX - Officer Gary Melson grabbed his fire extinguisher and got into a smoking Furr's Family Dining early Monday morning by breaking the window of a side door with his baton.
"We got called for light smoke coming off the roof of the building," Melson said. "We went to help the fire department. When I got there, I could see flames in the kitchen part of the restaurant."
The fire looked like it started on a stove, spreading to the wall and ceiling, Melson said. He used a fire extinguisher from his patrol car and and another in the restaurant's kitchen to smother the flames on the wall and ceiling until firefighters arrived.
"I wouldn't have even gone if I hadn't thought that by going in I could save the restaurant from going up," Melson said.
"I just think it's part of doing our job," Melson added. "If we can help somebody else by helping protect their lives or they're property, that's what we're going to do. I was just glad I could help them."
An officer's first responsibility is his safety and that of citizens, Detective Thomas Eisman said.
"As long as we're not going to create more of a problem, we'll do things like" what Melson did, Eisman said.
The fire started in the electrical controls in the kitchen where grease appeared to ignite under the burners and traveled up, John Bradley, city fire marshal, said.
The vent hood system activated and extinguished the majority of the fire, he said. Firefighters did some mop up work and put out hot spots.
The kitchen suffered heavy smoke damage, but most of the fire was contained by the vent system, he added.
Dispatchers were notified at 12:48 a.m. and firefighters arrived within five minutes. The fire was under control at 1:14 a.m.
"They got in there and took care of business," Bradley said. "They didn't have any other fire damage except for just the kitchen area."
The restaurant manager deferred comment to chain owner and operator Buffet Partners in Plano. The corporate office did not return a message Friday night.
The manager hoped to have the restaurant open again on Monday. |
