Fire at Red Ash leads to restaurant evacuation Monday night and temporary closure

Dark smoke billowed into the streets and alleyways of downtown Austin on Monday evening as a kitchen fire led to the immediate evacuation of the popular and crowded Italian steakhouse Red Ash at 303 Colorado St.

The Austin Fire Department received the alarm around 6 p.m., and by 7 p.m. crews had controlled the fire. It was contained to the kitchen in the restaurant built around a wood-burning grill.

The fire, which was ruled accidental, started somewhere in the oven and hood ventilation system, according to Fire Department shift commander Mark Bridges. Though there was lots of smoke pouring from the restaurant's vents and into the streets, no injuries were reported. The status of the fire was elevated to a second alarm because of procedures that come with working an active fire in a high-rise.

Red Ash sits at the bottom of the Colorado Tower. Bridges said the immediate area above the restaurant is 12 stories of parking garage, with commercial offices sitting on the top floors. There was minimal smoke penetration of the office floors above the restaurant.

Red Ash co-owner Larry Foles told the American-Statesman through a representative that the restaurant would be closed the rest of the week, and a reopening date would not be determined until the end of the week and possibly later.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fire at Austin's Red Ash leads to restaurant evacuation, temporary closure