[H]otel Vermont guests were able to return to their rooms, and normal business was able to resume early Wednesday morning, just hours after a fire that began in a restaurant’s ventilation system reached the building’s roof.
However, Hen of the Wood, a decorated restaurant on the ground floor, will stay closed for about a month as repairs are made, according to Eric Warnstedt, its founder and chef.
The fire, which broke out just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday in a duct system connected to a restaurant kitchen, was quickly contained by firefighters and did not cause any injuries.
After midnight, most guests, who had been waiting outside the hotel while firefighters cleared the building, were able to return to their rooms.
The hotel relocated some guests who needed to be up early Wednesday morning to the Burlington Hilton.
Burlington Deputy Fire Chief Peter Brown said Wednesday that city firefighters have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but they know it began in a duct system connected to the kitchen at Hen of the Wood, a restaurant located in the same building as the hotel.
The ventilation system is connected to a pizza oven, grill and other appliances in the restaurant, Brown said.
The fire climbed through the duct system and up six stories where it caused some roof damage.
But the blaze was contained to the duct and didn’t damage the interior of the hotel building, or the restaurant’s kitchen.
“We’re very happy that the fire was really contained in the ductwork and there was no open fire exposed and our guests got out safe and our staff got out safe,” ” said Hans van Wees, the hotel’s general manager.
