Published: June 29, 2009 10:02 pm      

Eatery reopens after outside fire

Mi Familia Mexican Restaurant closed for several hours Monday after a fire started outside the building.

Restaurant Manager Luis Sanchez said the fire probably started from a cigarette butt that was flicked under some bushes near the northwest corner of the building, which is set back from U.S. 31 on Clinton Drive.

The fire spread to a nearby Dumpster and scorched the outside of the building, turning its yellow paint red. There was no damage inside the building.

One of the restaurant’s patrons first noticed the fire about 3:15 p.m. and called 911. It took the Kokomo Fire Department about 1.5 hours to put out the blaze.

The restaurant was ready to reopen for dinner by about 5:30 p.m. Monday.