A two-alarm fire badly damaged the kitchen at Tiny’s Family Restaurant Sunday night, the night before the owners were to reopen the dining room.
Around 11:50 p.m. someone spotted flames on the northwest corner of the roof of Tiny’s, 600 E. Highway 260, and reported it to police.
Once inside, Payson Fire Department firefighters found a fire in the kitchen. They believe the fire started on the stove and spread to the cooking area and up through an exhaust hood.
“The fire they were seeing from the roof was from the grease that was burning up through the vent,” said Battalion Chief Lewis Noble.
Firefighters contained the fire to the cooking area and the flames did not spread to the roof, he said.
“Crews were very effective and got a very quick knock on it,” he said. “Whoever called, they spotted it early. We had crews inside within eight minutes (of the first report).”