LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The Little Rock Fire Department worked to put out a fire at the Ozark Country Restaurant.
“It’s a nice place to work at,” said Nolan Young who has been the cook at the restaurant for about three weeks.
According to Cpt. Weaver, the restaurant had flames coming out of the roof when firefighters arrived after receiving the initial call to dispatch around 12:05 p.m. The restaurant is located at 202 Keightley Drive in Little Rock.
Firefighters went into 'defensive mode' to begin extinguishing the flames. Only four staff members and about three patrons were inside when the fire began but quickly evacuated to safety. No one was injured.
“I was mopping and the owner looked out the window and saw smoke out the back deck. He opened the back door and the whole patio was on fire and he told us to get out,” said Nolan.
Firefighters aren’t sure yet what caused the fire, but believe it started toward the back of the building.
“Initial reports were the smell of smoke and seeing smoke around the rear of the structure and if it was in the rear, it has a tendency to get in the attic space,” said Cpt. Weaver.
The apartment complex nearby the restaurant was not affected.
According to the owner of the Ozark Country Restaurant, Daniel Haase, the building was built in 1954-1955 as a school, then turned into the Shack BBQ. It was then the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse (where he was an employee). After it closed, he bought it and turned it into the Ozark Country Restaurant 21 years ago
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