Restaurant evacuated after small chimney fire

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Oak Bluffs firefighters responded to a report of a chimney fire at the Offshore Ale House restaurant on Kennebec Avenue in Oak Bluffs Tuesday afternoon. Fire chief Pete Forend said a small piece of creosote in the chimney caught fire, but extinguished itself quickly.

The fire department checked the chimney, and restaurant patrons who had evacuated during the commotion were allowed back inside the restaurant, Mr. Forend said.

“There was no fire, just smoke,” co-owner Colleen McAndrews said. Ms. McAndrews said the special chimney has a self-cleaning feature.

She said someone in nearby Ocean Park saw smoke from the chimney, called 9-1-1, and ran into the restaurant trying to evacuate people. “For some reason the guy really freaked out,” Ms. McAndrews said. “When we tried to approach him he wouldn’t talk to us.”

She said the man left quickly when police and fire personnel arrived. The restaurant soon resumed normal operations.