The morning after flames raged along Franklin Street, a sense of normalcy returned Monday to most of the downtown businesses that had been evacuated the night before.
More than a dozen fire trucks raced to downtown Sunday night to contain a blaze that began at Szechuan House at 508 N Franklin St. The cause of the fire is undetermined, according to an incident report released Monday. The fire began at about 6 p.m. Sunday in the kitchen area of the restaurant, which was closed at the time, and caused the second floor of the building to collapse, according to Tampa Fire Rescue. The second floor above the restaurant included living quarters.
Two fire fighters sustained minor injuries, according to the incident report.
A thick column of smoke billowed into the air over N Franklin and E Twiggs streets. Nearby businesses include a CVS, Jimmy John’s and Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria.