Sattie Persaud, owner of HillTop Kitchen, did not have quite the birthday she hoped for as a smoker at the restaurant caught fire on Thursday, June 11. Firefighters from Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue and Newtown Hook & Ladder were called to respond to the scene at 7:54 pm to assist the kitchen staff who had already launched into action.

Persaud said before the fire trucks arrived, she was on the phone with Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity President Mike Burton. She said he “remained calm, reassuring, and helped guide us through a very stressful moment."

SHVFR Chief Anthony Capozziello explained a little bit more about the situation. He said there were ribs inside the smoker that caught fire, “a grease fire” within the smoker. While there was no fire damage to the building, there was a lot of smoke damage, causing the restaurant to be closed for a few days following the incident.

Firefighters from the two volunteer companies worked together to vent the restaurant using fans, or “smoke ejectors,” and did not cut into the roof. The 15 or so volunteers checked the attic for heat extension, but did not find any.

Persaud said that watching the firefighters work was “incredible.” She thought they were "calm, professional, and highly trained."

Capozziello said of the teamwork, “[We] worked together well in preventing any further damage.”

Persaud added, “Both the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue and the Newtown Hook & Ladder Fire Company responded, and we cannot thank them enough. Experiences like this remind you how fortunate we are to have dedicated people protecting our community behind the scenes every day. It also reinforced how important fire inspections and safety standards are. The system worked exactly as it should.”

While Newtown Health District cleared HillTop for reopening Wednesday, June 17, Persaud and her staff took an extra day to clean, focus on repairs and inspections, and get the restaurant ready to welcome guests again. The restaurant reopened officially on Thursday, June 18.

“While it wasn't the celebration I expected, it certainly put things into perspective. We are safe. This happened as our last guests were leaving. Our staff is safe. Our guests are safe. The building is safe. For that, we are incredibly thankful,” Persaud said of the fire. “Thank you to everyone who reached out, offered prayers, support, and encouragement. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to HillTop Kitchen on Thursday.”

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.