Crews fight Soledad restaurant fire

Fire officials say it could have been much worse.

At around 10 a.m. Thursday, employees of the Windmill restaurant smelled smoke. It came from a fire in a utility room near the kitchen. By the time they found the fire, the room was fully engulfed. They closed the door and called 911.

Fire officials say closing the door was a wise move. The fire eventually was starved for oxygen.

“There was a lot of smoke,” said Cal Fire Captain Nick Gelos, “but the flames were confined to the storage room.”

The restaurant and adjoining Valley Harvest Inn were evacuated. There were no reports of injuries. The restaurant remained closed Thursday evening and there was no immediate indication when it would reopen.

Investigators believe the fire started in an electrical panel.