Repairs underway at Joe Pasta after dryer fire

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Firefighters put out a small blaze caused by a dryer fire at the Joe Pasta restaurant on upper King Street late Tuesday.

According to Charleston Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Julazadeh, city firefighters and Saint Andrews firefighters responded to the restaurant at 428 King Street just before midnight.

When they arrived, employees had already evacuated, and smoke was visible inside the restaurant.

Fire crews search the building and discovered a fire in the office on the first floor. The fire was extinguished quickly and crews ventilated the structure and took actions to limit further damage to the property.

The majority of the fire and smoke damage was confined to the office; only minor smoke damage extended beyond the office area.

Fire investigators determined the fire started in a clothes dryer in the office, where rags were being dried. The cause is related to the cleaning rags that were recently dried in the dryer.

The restaurant will likely remain closed for short period of time as they proceed with cleanup activities.

The Charleston Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to remind citizens and businesses of these general safety tips:

- Never leave a clothes dryer (or similar heat producing equipment) running unattended.

- Maintain, service, and clean dryers on a regular basis to reduce fire hazards through lint accumulation.

- Rags, towels or other cloth materials that may have been used to clean oils (found in some paints and varnishes, vegetable oils, and similar) should be thoroughly cleaned before they are dried. Some of these oils will undergo spontaneous heating after the dryer stops and have been known to cause fires up to several hours after the dryer cycle ends.

- Work with staff to plan and prepare for an emergency.

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