Customers and staff of Tim Hortons and Wendy's were evacuated from the 46 Street building last week after a fire broke out last Thursday morning.
“There was a huge panic,” said Wendy's employee Margaret Zyderveld.
A fire department official said a fire started in an area underneath the fryer station in Wendy's kitchen.
It began with just little flames around 11 a.m., said Rhomani Linnarv, who was the Wendy's restaurant manager in charge during the morning shift.
Within moments of getting through to a 911 operator, the fire escalated, she said.
“They were asking for the address and then I saw this huge flame over the fry station and all this smoke. I went back and said, hey this is more than a little fire,” said Rhomani.
The security gate over Wendy's order counter was brought down and Zyderveld set to work clearing everyone out of the building.
“I automatically thought, get everyone out. I have first aid but I've never been in this situation before,” said Zyderveld. “I've worked here for 14 years and this has never, ever happened before.”
She estimates there were about 10 customers in the building and a handful of staff at both Wendy's and Tim Hortons.
The fire department responded to the site within minutes of the 911 call, staff said.
Tim Hortons and Wendy's staff and customers milled around outside while firefighters contained the blaze and aired out the building.
A Wendy's employee was attended to by EMS staff in an ambulance in the parking lot.
