ROCK SPRINGS – A fryer fire at the McDonalds restaurant on Sunset Drive Tuesday morning resulted in a temporary closure as firefighters dealt with the fire. 

According to the Rock Springs Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at 6:47 a.m. The initial report was the restaurant’s staff were evacuating the building due to a fire in one of the fryers. The RSFD responded with three trucks and nine firefighters. Firefighters entered the building after seeing nothing from the exterior of the building. Once inside, they discovered an active fryer fire in the kitchen, which was then extinguished with a portable fire extinguisher. 

The fire was considered put out at 7 a.m. and there was no damage to the building as the fire was contained to the fryer and heat was being vented by the exhaust hood. No injuries were reported and the restaurant reopened at 9:30 a.m. 

RSFD Fire Chief Jim Wamsley said there wasn’t a huge concern about the building becoming engulfed in flames because of the fire suppression systems within the building. He admits there is always the possibility of a fire spreading, but the firefighters’ concern was if the building was evacuated. Wamsley said the RSFD’s approach to a restaurant fire is no different than other types of structure fires. He said part of basic firefighter and officer training involves strategy and tactics, saying firefighters assess the type of construction of a building, if everyone was evacuated and the area surrounding the building to formulate their strategy in combatting a fire.

The fire department compliments the restaurant’s staff on their quick response in evacuating the building and informing firefighters of the situation when they arrived.