Some people may ask why restaurant kitchen exhaust systems need regular cleaning. This recent news story helps illustrate why. A fire broke out in a Portland, Oregon restaurant over the weekend. This one sentence says it all:
Fire crews arrived to find flames inside the restaurant’s ventilation system.
We’re not going to speculate as to whether or not the restaurant in question had fallen behind in keeping their exhaust systems cleaned. But this is why such cleaning is required by federal law. Restaurant kitchens are in operation for as much as 12 hours a day, seven days a week. They deal with flammable materials and give off lots of fumes and heat. Those fumes can carry grease upward, onto the vent hood and into the exhaust ducts. Give it enough time, and you have a fire waiting to happen.
In this case, there were no injuries. But this restaurant could be out of commission for weeks or longer, and the cost for repairs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Keep your restaurant and people safe – contact us today to get that exhaust system cleaned.