Chattanooga firefighters responded to two separate kitchen fires at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen and LongHorn Steakhouse on Sunday morning, according to a news release.
Shortly before 6:30 a.m., fire crews responded to a report of a small kitchen fire at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen on Gunbarrel Road. It was determined through investigation that "oily rags smoldered and ignited" to cause the fire, the release stated.
The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. There was minor damage to the building due to the activated sprinkler system.
A few hours later, crews were alerted to another fire at LongHorn Steakhouse on Brainerd Road, and arrived at the location to find that "the kitchen hood was on fire and flames were coming through the hood vent on the roof," investigators said.
The restaurant was closed at the time of the incident, and the staff members who were inside preparing to open for lunch told investigators that the fire started over the chargrill. Multiple crews worked to extinguish fires in the kitchen area as well as the attic space of the restaurant.
No injuries were reported following the incident, and LongHorn Steakhouse will be closed for the time being.
"The most important thing is the safety of our team," LongHorn's director of operations said in a released statement. "We are so glad that everyone made it out and that they're alright. We look forward to serving the public again as soon as possible."
- Compiled by Kiara Green