Smoke and water damage
Out of the flames: Two Woodlands Waterway restaurants work to reopen after afire
Américas
The Goose's Acre Bistro & Irish PubPhoto via The Goose's Acre/Facebook
Two popular Woodlands restaurants caught fire Monday night.
Located on Waterway Avenue in Woodlands Town Center, both Américas and The Goose's Acre suffered minor damage to their ventilation systems during what fire officials suspect started as a small grease fire.
"The fire started in kitchen at The Goose's Acre," Wayne Wallace, deputy chief of operations for the Woodlands Fire Department, tells CultureMap. Wallace warned that cooking vents are prone to trap grease and require regular cleaning, even in residences. The Goose's Acre flushed its system as recently as October.
"Fires like this do happen from time to time," he said, adding that the event is still under investigation.
According to The Montgomery County Police Reporter, firefighters first believed there was only heavy smoke trapped in the vent. Once the system was re-activated, however, flames were visible in the ductwork. In the attic area of the building housing the restaurants, a nearby natural gas line was also breached and ignited. Crews quickly put out the flames.
Two individuals were treated for smoke inhalation and a firefighter injured his ankle during the blaze.
While the fire was contained almost entirely in the ventilation unit, several sprinkler heads were activated during the incident, causing water damage at both restaurants. The vent hood in the kitchen of Américas was dismantled to reach the fire.
Fred Espinoza of Américas said the restaurant only had minor smoke issues and will reopen at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Goose's Acre reps were unavailable to comment and the restaurant remains closed.
