Buck's Pizza, 219 Cottage Grove Road, is closed following a fire this evening in the kitchen ventilation hood. The fire was discovered by employees who noticed smoke coming from the ventilation duct near the ceiling. They turned off the pizza ovens, evacuated the building, and called 911.

Madison Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 5:27 p.m. Engine 5 arrived three minutes later and noticed flames coming from the vent on the roof. A crew entered the building and found fire around the ductwork going into the ceiling. The exhaust hood above the pizza oven was removed and the fire was extinguished.

Firefighters also laddered the roof and extinguished the fire that was coming out of the top of the vent. The fire was under control within ten minutes. Fire crews checked for fire extension in the area between the ceiling and the roof.

An inspector from Public Health of Madison and Dane County responded to the scene. Buck's Pizza will remain closed until repairs are made and the fire area is cleaned.

The fire caused approximately $25,000 damage. No injuries were reported at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it appears unintentional.

Safety Note:

Engine 5 stretched a large supply hose to a fire hydrant on the opposite side of Cottage Grove Road, closing the street to traffic in both directions. Firefighters rely on the supply hose for water to fight the fire.

Several people tried to drive their cars over the hose and had to be stopped before damaging the hose. Driving over fire hose is illegal and dangerous. A ruptured hose can injure people nearby, damage cars, and interrupts the firefighters' water supply. This endangers the firefighters who rely on a steady water supply and can delay extinguishment of the fire.