An early morning oven fire surprised the kitchen manager and staff as they arrived to work Sunday at The Mojo Grill on SW 17th St. in Ocala.
Crews from Ocala Fire Rescue scrambled to the restaurant shortly before 8 a.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire in progress. When they arrived, crews reported a light haze of smoke visible at the roof level.
The kitchen manager said that as employees made their way into the kitchen Sunday morning through the side door, they found the building full of smoke with flames showing from the restaurant’s double oven.
Ocala Fire Rescue’s Engines 1, 3 and 4 responded to the blaze, as did Tower 1, Rescue 3, Battalion Chief 22 and a safety officer. Upon arrival, the battalion chief established command and advised units en route of the situation at the popular eatery.
The crew from Engine 3 entered the building through a side door and extinguished the blaze. Firefighters from Rescue 3 shut off the gas supply to the restaurant and the fire was confined to the oven. It was extinguished within three minutes, an Ocala Fire Rescue report states.
There were no injuries reported and the cause of the blaze hasn’t yet been determined. Crews from TECO Gas Company, Ocala Electric Utility, the Ocala Police Department and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded.