A popular downtown restaurant was forced to evacuate and close due to a fire on Tuesday evening.

Fire crews responded to the Merchant Tavern at 291 Water Street at about 7:45 p.m. following a report of a fire in the ventilation system.  Firefighters arrived a short time later, cordoning off a section of the pedestrian mall.

Gerald O’Neill, Acting Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, stated first-arriving crews detected high heat in the ventilation system.  An aerial ladder was deployed to the roof in order to perform an inspection from above.  Smoke and fire was found coming from the top of the ventilation system.

To combat the flames, firefighters restarted the system, and discharged dry chemical fire extinguishers into it.  This forced the dry chemical up into the duct work, extinguishing the fire.  Crews spent the next hour ensuring no hot spots remained inside the ducts of the system.  Restaurant staff were permitted back inside the building after roughly an hour to clean up following the abrupt exodus from the premises.  The business was forced to remain closed for the remainder of the evening.

O’Neill praised staff and patrons of the restaurant, area security, and bystanders, saying the building was evacuated calmly, and patrons of the pedestrian mall made space for responding personnel and stayed at a safe distance, allowing crews to perform their duty without undue concern for public safety.

In a post made on social media later in the evening, co-owner Jeremy Bonia said there was no real damage from the fire, and the business would open again the next day.