A fire broke out at Jai Hind Dhaba on Sarat Bose Road around 9.20pm on Tuesday, forcing an evacuation of diners from the popular eatery.
The fire broke out in the chimney inside the kitchen on the ground floor and smoke was seen billowing out of the chimney's mouth outside the building. There were at least 20 diners in the eatery, which has tables spread across three levels.
Two fire engines reached the spot next to Pan Asia Hotel and Lakshmi Narayan Mandir within 10 minutes. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes but firemen said the eatery did not have basic fire-fighting preparedness.
The 80-year-old dhaba, however, reopened around 11.20pm but exhaust fans were used to clear the smoke from inside the kitchen instead of the chimney that had caught fire.
"There was a decorative false ceiling in the kitchen near the chimney where the fire broke out. There were no fire alarm or water sprinklers in place," said a senior fire officer.
Manjit Singh, the owner of the dhaba that serves Punjabi and Chinese food, said he had been called to the Kalighat fire station on Wednesday.
"We will install whatever the officials want us to at the earliest. But even sprinklers could not have controlled a fire that broke out inside the kitchen chimney," he said.
Although two fire engines were sent to the spot only one was needed to put out the fire by spraying water inside the chimney that runs along the outer wall of the building and opens near the terrace.
"There was a motor inside the chimney that pushes smoke up. A spark from this machine probably started the fire.... The inner walls of the chimney were oily, which is why there was lot of smoke," the fire officer said.
"We can accommodate about 100 people... but at the time of the fire there were 20 people. We alerted them about the fire and asked them to step out," Singh said. "Fortunately, the fire didn't damage the interiors of the restaurant.... So, we were able to reopen so soon."
Dhaba regulars who came to know about the fire visited the spot to gauge the damage.
"I just love the tarka and mixed vegetable they serve here. I come with my family at least once a month," said trader Harvinder Singh, a resident of Bhowanipore said. "Someone WhatsApped me about the fire."
