John Cooper Elias
The Bojangles’ restaurant on Western Boulevard caught fire Monday afternoon after “combustible materials” overheated in a back storage room, according to Raleigh Fire Department Division Chief H.F. Warner.
There was “heavy smoke damage throughout the building,” he said, especially in the storage area that also houses wiring and electrical equipment, but no one inside was injured.
The restaurant could be out of commission for a long period of time, he said, and may require some remodeling, but there was no significant structural damage.
Aaron Haynie, a junior in the transition program, said he and his friend, John DeMarsico, a junior in arts applications, were the only customers in the restaurant at the time.
Haynies said he was going to refill his iced tea when all the employees began running from the kitchen and directing them to leave.
He said the manager told them there was a gas leak, but Bojangles’ employees declined to comment.
After making it outside, Haynies and DeMarsico said they saw an explosion inside the building.
“Good thing it wasn’t packed like it always is,” DeMarsico said.