Chapati Fire -- Updated @ 20:15 10/22/2005

A shrill fire alarm evacuated the Archer House just before 4 p.m. today. A dryer in Chapati, the Indian restaurant, caught fire but caused minimal damage according to 2nd Assistant Fire Chief Tom Nelson.Nelson said the police who first arrived on the scene were unable to put out the fire, but the fire department put it out without much water. The sprinkler systems had gone off, however, and left three inches of standing water in the kitchen that began dripping down into the Tavern.

With a faint hint of wood-smoke in the air, people lingered in the chilly air to watch the fire trucks that blocked Division Street for about 30 minutes.

There shouldn't be significant damage, Nelson said, and the Archer House staff is arranging cleanup and repair of the sprinkler heads that went off. The heads will need to be replaced and the system recharged before the Archer House can reoccupy this evening.

Update 18:49 10/22/2005

The scorched remains of the dryer.

Update @ 20:15 10/22/2005
The sprinkler head has been replaced and the system recharged. Chapati and the Archer House reopened just before 7 p.m. The Tavern restaurant still isn't open,

The Tavern lounge and Archer House staff say that the restaurant is still cleaning up after some flooding. The water, that dripped down from Chapati, may also have damaged some of the restaurant's computer equipment.