Great Wall Buffet fire in Sparta ruled accidental
January 6, 2021 5:20 PM Site staff
Updated:
SPARTA, Wis. (WKBT) The fire that caused extensive damage at the Great Wall Buffet in Sparta Dec. 29 was accidental, Fire Chief Mike Arnold announced Wednesday.
Staffers were working on to-go orders when a fire started on the grill at about 4 p.m., Arnold said in a news release. Initially, they used water to try to extinguish the blaze and then, clothing to try to smother it.
The fire progressed up into the ceiling and up through the roof, Arnold said. The first 911 call came from a tavern one block away, and the fire was already through the roof.