Four fire trucks were called to Old Chicago restaurant at 1710 I-70 Drive S.W. early Saturday evening. Kitchen employees noticed smoke in the kitchen, which prompted general manager Tim Henderson to call 911 and evacuate the restaurant, he said.
Firefighters determined the cause of smoke to be a broken fan belt in an air conditioning duct. The unit was shut down and the fan belt removed, according to Capt. Don Zielinski of the Columbia Fire Department. With the exception of the burned fan belt, there was no damage. Patrons and staff were able to return to the restaurant after about 45 minutes, Henderson said.