TULSA, Okla. — We are learning more about what caused the massive East Village fire over the weekend that destroyed half a dozen apartments and damaged two restaurants.
The Tulsa Fire Department says the preliminary investigation points to an accidental fire related to a vent hood, but the investigation is ongoing.
Amidst the storm outside Saturday night, Chip Gaberino, co-owner of Lowood and Hodges Bend, was having dinner inside Lowood when a bigger storm started brewing in the kitchen.
“I was actually the last meal that came out of the kitchen,” said Gaberino. “The kitchen was trying to address the situation and asked me to come back and I called 911, and it went real fast from there.”
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Co-owner Noah Bush was pulling up for work as the smoke was billowing. Because the fire started in the middle of the building and the façade remained intact, it was difficult for them to see the magnitude of the fire for hours.
The structure remains questionable, sot they still haven’t been able to see the extent of the damage inside either place.
“The fire department did an amazing job,” said Bush. “It’s truly incredible what they did.”
“The love and support has been absolutely amazing,” he added.
- Previous story>>> Tulsa shows support after devastating fire in East Village District
Both are grateful for the GoFundMe campaigns to help the 55 staff members and residents displaced from the above apartments.
“I think it shows what Tulsa is all about and what our industry is all about,” said Gaberino. “How quickly people came in to support us makes me proud to be a Tulsan and work in this industry.”
To support the restaurant itself, they ask the community to purchase gift cards to Hodges Bend or Lowood.
Whether they will reopen will have to wait from word from the structural engineers. Either way, the owners say they will move forward somewhere. In the meantime, they plan to offer catering in the coming weeks.
Donate here:
- GoFundMe for the employees set up by Johnna Hayes.
- Link to help the restaurant.
- Link to help the displaced residents.
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