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Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County Fire Departments responded to a fire at El Charro Restaurant around 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 26. The blaze is believed to be a result of a tree falling, which shorted out the kitchen’s electrical line and caused a small fire in the attic. Sulphur Springs Police Department units managed traffic and blocked off College Street while firefighters worked at the restaurant.
Business| Structure Fire
El Charro restaurant was damaged by a fire Friday afternoon, just as employees were arriving to open for dinner.
The fire was called in around 2:30 p.m. Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County Fire Departments responded. Sulphur Springs Police assisted by blocking off College Street between Oak Avenue and Jackson Street to traffic.
All employees exited the building safely, and no injuries were reported, Assistant Fire Marshal Duane Sprague said.
The cause of the fire, according to Sprague, was a tree near the back of the building that fell, possibly due to a lightning strike, shorting out the building’s electrical line to the kitchen and sparking a fire in the attic space.
“There was not extensive damage inside,” Sprague said. “The electrical system was damaged when the breaker panel shorted out, and most of the damage occurred in the attic above the kitchen.'
The restaurant is closed for repairs, but the owners plan to reopen.