Grease fire exposes safety issues at Saskatoon seafood restaurant

A Saskatoon restaurant will need to pass a safety inspection before it can reopen following a kitchen fire on Wednesday.

Staff and customers were forced to evacuate the Red Lobster location on Eighth Street around 6 p.m. after a deep fryer caught on fire.

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) said in a release that the fire inspector determined a dirty vent caused the blaze which was contained to the kitchen area.

Further investigation found the kitchen’s fire suppression system did not activate and the fire alarm was not activated.

No employees were injured and damage is estimated at $20,000.

The SFD said a safety inspector will visit the restaurant to ensure fire alarm and suppression systems have been repaired and are fully operational before allowing the business to reopen.