ST. GEORGE — McDonald’s fast food restaurant on St. George Boulevard was evacuated after employees called 911 reporting smoke in the building late Saturday night.
Just before 11 p.m. four fire engines with firefighters and emergency personnel responded to a report of smoke, first noticed in the “Play Place” area.
Upon arrival firefighters found smoke inside the building but did not immediately locate its source, St. George Fire Department Captain Scott Peacock said.
The building was quickly evacuated to ensure the safety of employees and guests while firefighters searched for the cause of the smoke, Peacock said.
Firefighters checked the interior of the building and found nothing that could have generated the acrid smell of burning plastic initially reported by employees.
As more firefighters searched the restaurant’s exterior and climbed onto the roof, the source of the smoke was revealed.
Smoke was coming from one of the large air conditioning units that had overheated and started to burn plastic inside the unit, Peacock said. The building’s ventilation system pushed the smoke into the ‘Play Place’ area, which led employees to believe there was a fire somewhere inside.
Electricity powering the unit was cut off and the smoke began to clear once the overheated system began to cool down. Fire crews remained on scene during the cooling process and once it was safe to do so the system was checked for any undetected issues that could possibly reignite at a later time.
McDonald’s management was then advised of the damage and cautioned to leave the air cooling unit off until it could be serviced, Peacock said. Once the building was cleared of smoke and determined to be safe it was reopened a short time later.
Witnesses at the scene wondered why so many engines and firefighters responded to the call.
Peacock explained that all four engines were initially dispatched because it was appropriately classified as a structure fire.
“Typically, we don’t know the details until we arrive on scene,” Peacock said, “and time is everything, so we want to get as many firefighters out there as quickly as we can.”
Time is the critical factor for any fire, he continued, and can be the determining factor when a rescue is warranted.
Responding quickly also has an impact on the the level of damage or loss to the structure that’s burning.
It’s also a safety measure in case something goes wrong or when there is a fire inside of a structure that isn’t visible initially, but is burning nonetheless.
There is also a “2 in 2 out rule,” he said, which requires that if two firefighters are fighting a fire inside of a structure then there must be two on standby to rescue and replace them. This enables fire crews to continuously fight the fire while rotating firefighters in and out quickly without interruption.
The ‘2 in 2 out’ rule is an accountability and rescue system designed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA, which requires that two firefighters entering an ‘environment immediately dangerous to life or health’ must remain in sight or voice contact with each other at all times.
At the same time there must be two firefighters located outside of the building whose primary function is to assist those who are inside in case one of them becomes trapped, needs backup, is injured or suffers an equipment failure.
The St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross responded and remained on scene until the building was cleared.
No injuries were reported.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or first responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Firefighters found the overheated air conditioning system that was responsible for filling the McDonald's restaurant with smoke, St. George, Utah, Oct. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Firefighters search for the origin of smoke detected near the children's play area Saturday at McDonald's restaurant after an employee calls 911 reporting smoke in the building Saturday, St. George, Utah, Oct. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Fire crews search the exterior of the building for the origin of smoke reported at McDonald's restaurant on St. George Boulevard Saturday, St. George, Utah, Oct. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Firefighters respond to a reported structure fire at McDonald's after an employee calls 911 reporting smoke in the building Saturday, St. George, Utah, Oct. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Fire crews search the exterior of the building for the origin of smoke reported at McDonald's restaurant on St. George Boulevard Saturday, St. George, Utah, Oct. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
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I am so glad no one was hurt and the business was able to reopen. give thanks to the emergency personnel for their quick and professional response. Praise the Lord
I’m so glad that no one committed suicide in the bathroom as they continue to serve burgers in the drive thru. Amen
lol, i forgot about that one. was it at this McD’s?
No, it was the one on bluff. Bless their hearts