The McDonald’s restaurant in Damariscotta was closed for an unspecified amount of time due to an overheated fryolater earlier this afternoon.
Damariscotta and Newcastle fire department personnel responded to the 4 p.m. call, but the problem was extinguished by quick-thinking restaurant employees before their arrival.
According to Damariscotta Assistant Fire Chief Josh Pinkham, a fryolator became overheated. He said employees turned it off and pulled it away from the wall, then used a chemical fire extinguisher to get the fire out.
Firefighters ventilated the building and checked the rooftop fryolator vent as a safety precaution. Pinkham said the sanitation division of the Dept. of Health and Human Services must inspect the kitchen.
“Everything has to be clean before they can open up again,” he said.
