Wenatchee Thai eatery damaged by fire, police point to drunk employees

WENATCHEE — A fire that charred a Wenatchee restaurant early Sunday morning appears to have been caused by two drunk employees.

Wenatchee police were the first to arrive at the scene after a passerby reported a possible fire The Thai Restaurant about 1 a.m., said Capt. Edgar Reinfeld.

Officers entered the building at 1211 N. Mission St. and helped a male employee from the building and then reentered to help another man exit the restaurant. Investigators later learned the men were intoxicated and cooking after business hours.

“The two are probably lucky they survived,” Reinfeld said.

The fire was caused by the cooking, said Wenatchee Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Kay McKellar. More details of the cause were not immediately available Monday.

Reinfeld noted the fire does not appear to meet the criteria of crimes like arson or reckless burning, which stipulate a person knowingly cause a fire.

The fire was contained by firefighters to the kitchen and damage was minimal, McKellar said, though enough to prompt a temporary closure.

“There was a fire at The Thai Restaurant last night and we will be closed until we can repair the damage,” the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page Sunday evening.