The Damage of Flare-Ups Near Exhaust Ventilation Systems

May 6, 2021

The damage bill is expected to be more than $250,000, so Anchor’s Wharf will now rebuild it’s expected to take several months.

The beloved restaurant narrowly avoided destruction on Monday night but early estimates suggest damage bill could top $250,000.

Anchors Wharf in Urunga has been left with a huge damage bill after firefighters battled to extinguish a blaze at the waterfront restaurant on Monday night.

The fire broke out about 6.30pm with huge plumes of smoke billowing out of the building which sits on banks of the Kalang River according to The Daily Telegraph.

The restaurant has been owned by Denise and Steve Ryan for more than 20 years and remains one of the most popular on the coast. There was an enormous response from the community as the news quickly spread via social media that the building was on fire.

North Coast Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Tony Lenthall said the fire is believed to have started on the ground floor and spread quickly before members of the Urunga brigade, who were first on the scene, could enter the property and locate the source of the smoke.

“There was large volumes of smoke issuing from the building when they arrived and some flames were out the window. Crews have worked very hard under strenuous conditions to knock this fire down very quickly and search the building to ensure that everyone was safe.”

Inspector Tony Lenthall

More than 40 firefighters from stations between Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour were on the scene by the time the fire was extinguished.

Mr Lenthall said there was real potential for the entire building to be destroyed but the swift actions of firefighters meant the ground floor had sustained “substantial damage” from fire, heat, and smoke.

“The fire could have spread very quickly within this building, the contents inside this building would be very flammable being a kitchen and restaurant area. So firefighters have done an excellent job in knocking this fire down very quickly and saving the remainder of the building."

Inspector Tony Lenthall

The upper level – which contained a private residence – remained intact and two people self-evacuated and were assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

Investigators have confirmed an electrical fault caused a fire that tore through the popular waterfront restaurant.

It’s been determined a kitchen appliance sparked the blaze.

The Fire and Rescue K-9 unit and forensics swept through the venue yesterday.

Anchor’s Wharf owners say they will now rebuild – it’s expected to take several months.

The damage bill is expected to be more than $250,000.

Did you know….

Kitchen appliance flare-ups often generate temperatures above 1000°C, which can easily ignite the grease residue throughout the ventilation system, spreading uncontrolled fire throughout the whole building.

Fire-related hazards in commercial kitchens that owner/operators should look out for include:

– Faulty or overheating electrical equipment

– Food preparation equipment left without supervision during operation

– Failure to switch off equipment, especially at the end of service

– Flames, sparks, and hot gases from food preparation, which can ignite residues in exhaust ventilation systems

– Overheated oils that can lead to spontaneous combustion

– Food preparation equipment based on solid fuels

– Gas blowtorches used for browning some foods

– Poorly operating thermostats or a lack of thermostat or fault-detecting equipment

– Metal exhaust flues that conduct heat and ignite nearby material or debris

– Ovens without igniters/pilot lights (lit with burning pieces of paper).

Keeping exhaust ventilation systems clean and minimising grease residues will reduce the potential for fires to take over, as it has in this unfortunate event.

ANZ Standard 1851.6 – 2012 requires each commercial kitchen exhaust system to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a year.

As well as for health and safety, compliance can be crucial from an insurance point of view.

If you think your kitchen exhaust ventilation system does not meet current standards or represents a fire risk, you should contact an HVAC professional or kitchen exhaust ventilation company to do a fire risk assessment. The single most important thing you can do to keep your systems safe is to regularly inspect and keep the system clean. Make sure you are correctly insured and discuss with your cleaning contractor any safety hazards or compliance issues in your system.

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