Officials: Patrons Continued To Dine During Fire At Mahopac Restaurant
MAHOPAC, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Firefighters responding to a report of a fire inside a diner in Mahopac, New York said when they arrived they found about two dozen patrons eating their meals and employees working despite the smoke.
The owner of Olympic Diner said he thought the smoke was the heating system that he had turned on earlier because of the cooler temperature on Saturday morning, the Journal News reported.
But firefighters who responded found a real fire inside the walls near the stove after noticing thick smoke and hearing sounds in the walls.
The patrons were evacuated and crews battled the fire for more than an hour.
No injuries were reported.
The owner of the diner said he will repair and rebuild. The restaurant has been open about 35 years.
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