Ball & Chain Grill chef’s quick actions defuse fryer fire

A popular Hobart restaurant could have gone up in flames on Saturday morning if it weren’t for the quick actions of a chef.

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A CHEF’S quick thinking has saved a popular restaurant from going up in flames this morning.

Ball & Chain Grill chef Sasja van Vonderen said he had the deep fryer on for about ten minutes when the thermostat malfunctioned, causing what he called a “big smoke cloud”.

“I turned everything off, pulled out all the electricity plugs and put the lid on,” he said.

“That’s when it really started catching fire.”

Mr Vonderen threw three fire blankets onto the flames and used extinguishers.

When those measures failed, he called the Tasmanian Fire Service.

The Ball & Chain Grill.

Well accustomed to the high-pressure kitchen heat, the experienced chef said the “really hot” oil fire was the most severe blaze he had seen in his hospitality career.

“My heart was in my throat when it happened but we all stayed calm,” he said.

Two fire crews from Hobart Brigade arrived within 3 minutes.

TFS said the chef’s quick actions stopped the fire from spreading spread until crews arrived.

The fire was deemed accidental with estimated damages of $5000.

Ball & Chain Grill said in a Facebook comment, “thanks everyone, our staff did an amazing job in response to an electrical fault in one of our small fryers, no major damage. We’ll be open for dinner tonight from 5pm!”