A fire broke out at a restaurant in Southtown early Monday morning. San Antonio Fire Department officials said it was likely that an oven, left on overnight, was the cause. The building was empty at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.
Firefighters arrived at Brigid, 803 S. St. Mary’s St., to find flames shooting out of an air conditioning duct, with much of the roof and bar area on fire. The fire then spread to adjoining bar Francis Bogside, which is also owned by local restaurateur Steve Mahoney.
“This incident was not deemed suspicious,” San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) Public Relations Manager Woody Woodward said. “We will not be conducting an arson investigation. We’ll leave it with (the owners) and their insurance company.”
SAFD received a few calls from neighbors about the fire at approximately 6:40 a.m., Woodward said, and it was extinguished relatively quickly at 7:10 a.m.
“(The fire crew) began to attack the fire on the roof, and then went inside to make sure the roof fire didn’t extend to (much of) the inside,” Woodward said. “Fire sprinklers in the building kept the fire from spreading.”
Firefighters originally thought that the fire started from an air conditioning unit, but further investigation pointed to an oven at Brigid.
“It started somewhere in an oven, in a pizza-style oven or otherwise,” Woodward explained. “Some embers traveled upward and ignited.”
Woodward added that the fire damage is not as bad as it could have been, but that there is significant water damage to the interior due to the sprinkler system. Firefighters are working to salvage the property. There is currently no estimated dollar amount for the damage.
Mahoney released the following statement:
“This morning there was fire in the kitchen at Brigid, which affected both Brigid and its adjacent sister bar, Francis Bogside. Our entire staff is safe, and we thank the San Antonio Fire Department for their work and quick response. Until further notice both Brigid and Francis Bogside will be closed for repairs. Thank you.”
He was unavailable for further comment Monday afternoon.
The “sister” establishments opened last year: Francis Bogside with a more casual, tavern atmosphere, and Brigid with a more formal menu and design.
