Steak ‘N Shake Evacuated Following Kitchen Fire

By Woo-Sung Shim, Lake & McHenry County Scanner

August 21, 2022 5:21 PM

Employees and patrons safely evacuated the Steak ‘n Shake restaurant in Gurnee after a grease fire broke out Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The Gurnee Fire Department, Gurnee Police Department and Newport Township Fire Protection District responded around 12:20 p.m. Sunday to Steak ‘n Shake, 6070 Gurnee Mills Circle East, for a report of a structure fire.

Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief David Douglass told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that grease caught on fire in the kitchen.

Employees used the restaurant’s Ansul fire suppression system to try and put the fire out.

The fire did not fully extinguish so the employees called 911.

Employees safely evacuated patrons in the dining room, Douglass said.

Police officers and firefighters arrived shortly after to find smoke coming from the restaurant.

The restaurant was empty when crews arrived and the fire was contained to the fryer, Douglass said.

Firefighters deployed one hose line and brought the fire under control around 10 minutes after arriving.

The fire was extinguished around 12:50 p.m., according to fire radio traffic.

Firefighters remained on the scene to make sure the fire did not spread to the ceiling and to ventilate the restaurant, Douglass said.

No one was injured and fire officials are unsure what kind of structural damage occurred, if any.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The Newport Township Fire Protection District, Libertyville Fire Department, Mundelein Fire Department, Zion Fire and Rescue Department and Lake Villa Fire Protection District provided coverage for the Gurnee Fire Department during the incident.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.