Pikesville, MD - A two-alarm fire in the storage area of a popular Pikesville restaurant Wednesday afternoon July 8 broke out just as dinnertime was getting underway.
Baltimore County's 9-1-1 center received a phone call just before 5 p.m. reporting an electrical fire in a storage area of the Suburban House in the 900 block of Reisterstown Road, said Elise Armacost, BCoFD spokesperson.
The officer on BCoFD Engine 2 (Pikesville station) reported heavy flames and smoke were coming from the building and requested a second alarm.
Approximately 35 patrons and employees had self-evacuated upon the fire department's arrival and firefighters made an aggressive attack to limit the spread of the fire, Armacost said.
"Crews did a very good job of knocking down the fire quickly," she said, noting the storage area held kitchen supplies, canned goods, and overstock items.
Suburban House dates back several decades as a landmark restaurant along Pikesville's main strip. In recent years, adjacent businesses had closed and the restaurant had taken over the spaces next to their main dining area.
Members of the Baltimore County Fire Investigation Division were on the scene searching for the cause and origin of the fire, Armacost said, noting an employee heard popping sounds and smelled smoke in the storage area just before seeing flames.
