Cigarette caused fire that temporarily closed Greenhouse Tavern, fire officials say

Greenhouse Tavern fire

An employee on Monday puts up a sign saying Greenhouse Tavern will be temporarily closed following a Sunday night fire.

(Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A discarded cigarette in a third-floor supply closet started a fire late Sunday that temporarily closed the Greenhouse Tavern, according to Cleveland fire officials.

The fire started about 9 p.m. in the closet located in a stairwell leading to the rooftop dining area of the popular East 4th street restaurant.

The restaurant was closed at the time and no one was injured.

The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, Assistant Fire Chief Gregory Glauner said.

Glauner said the blaze caused a particular challenge for firefighters because the road is blocked off for foot traffic.

He said firefighters initially used fire extinguishers to control the fire until they could run a hose up to the third floor of the building.

Glauner said the person who discarded the cigarette left long before the fire started since the cigarette would have taken a while to turn into a full fire.

"It definitely could have been worse," Glauner said.

Jonathan Sawyer, the celebrity chef and owner of the restaurant said on Instagram that the restaurant "will be closed for the short foreseeable future."

A sign outside the restaurant on Monday thanked Cleveland police and fire officials and the outpouring of support from the community.

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