A grease fire Wednesday night caused extensive damage inside a Sebastopol Taco Bell, but no one was injured.
The blaze, which was called into emergency dispatch at 7:15 p.m., started in the deep fryer area of the kitchen, said Capt. Jack Piccinini of the Sebastopol Fire Department.
He said it quickly spread to the ceiling and into the ventilation system, and black smoke rose from the roof of the building at 860 Highway 116 N.
There were about about five people in the restaurant, including employees, when the fire started, but they were quickly evacuated, Piccinini said. Two employees stayed behind to try to put out the fire but left the restaurant when they couldn't contain it. Piccinini said no one was in any immediate danger.
When firefighters arrived, billows of "thick, black sooty smoke" were coming from inside the building, he said.
"When we entered the building, there was almost zero visibility," he said.
The fire was contained within about 20 minutes. Piccinini said the smoke caused most of the damage to the inside of the building, including blackening tables, chairs and the ceiling.
He estimated the damage to the restaurant to be about $75,000.
Crews from Sebastopol, Graton and Gold Ridge responded to the blaze.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: