A fire at the OK Cafe in Buckhead started in the hot water heater, the Atlanta fire department confirmed Monday afternoon.
Employees said they suspected electrical problems in the water heater and had called an electrician Sunday before the fire started. In an email confirming the cause of the fire, Atlanta fire spokeswoman Janet Ward also updated the condition of a firefighter injured during the cleanup.
“He was released from Atlanta Medical Center yesterday and is fine,” Ward said on Monday.
The fire at the Atlanta landmark couldn’t have come at a worse time, the restaurant’s general manager said Monday.
But the OK Cafe will re-open, though it’s not yet known how long it could take, GM Carlos Alarcon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Alcarcon said restaurant leaders will meet Monday afternoon to determine their plans.
No serious injuries were reported in the Sunday fire, but for employees, the loss of work is hard during the holiday season, Alarcon said.
“With the holidays coming up, there are no words to put into perspective what’s happening here,” Alarcon said.
Community support continues to flow in for the eatery, located on the corner of West Paces Ferry Road and Northside Parkway. The OK Cafe, a popular spot for business and community leaders, has been in business since 1987.
Alarcon said he believes the fire started due to an electrical issue with a hot water heater. Employees called an electrician Sunday morning, but quickly called 911 when smoke started filling the building, he said. Customers and employees quickly evacuated the restaurant as fire crews arrived.
Alarcon said it’s not yet known when the OK Cafe will be ready to serve customers again. But the restaurant and its employees will get through it.
“They will be taken care of, I assure you,” Alarcon said. “They will want for nothing.”
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