APRIL 4, 2015
TAMPA, FLORIDA (WFLA)
Firefighters with Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a fire at
Bella's Italian Cafe on 1413 South Howard Avenue in Tampa late Saturday night.
Authorities described the incident as a grease fire. Firefighters poured about 20 gallons of
water down the flue, a passage for smoke in the chimney, to
extinguish the fire.
Early reports suggest no one was injured. The patrons were
safely evacuated and the restaurant shut down as firefighters sprayed water
through the roof and chimney.
Manager Milisa Burns said damage was minimal, with a fan
motor that would need to be replaced.
Bella's is a longstanding Italian restaurant
in trendy South Tampa. The restaurant tells News Channel 8 they need
to replace some equipment and continue to clean up on Monday. As a result, they
expect to re-open Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. for lunch.
