Lawsuit filed in 2014 fire at St. Charles bar, restaurant
The insurance company for The Office Dining and Spirits in St. Charles has sued a Romeoville exhaust fan cleaning company, arguing the company was negligent in its cleaning duties and a buildup of grease fueled an August 2014 fire.
The lawsuit filed in late May in Kane County seeks nearly $415,000 in damages from A+ Exhaust Hood and Duct Cleaning that was paid in The Offices' insurance claim, as well as attorney fees.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of Allied Property and Casualty Insurance Co. argues A+ Exhaust had been contracted to clean The Office's exhaust fans and hoods and had "supposedly" performed cleaning work less than two weeks before the Aug. 27, 2014, fire.
"The fire originated at or near the stovetop in the kitchen but quickly spread into the exhaust hood(s) and duct work located directly above. The grease and residue left in the exhaust hood(s) became the fuel load for the fire due to improper and negligent cleaning of the grease buildup by the defendant," the lawsuit argues.
A message left for the owners at A+ Exhaust, 554 Anderson Drive, was not immediately returned Monday.
Colm Headley, manager at The Office, 201 E. Main St., said The Office re-opened Oct. 8, 2014. He declined to comment on the lawsuit.
At the time of the fire, the St. Charles Fire Department estimated damage at about $125,000 and said it took about an hour to extinguish the fire, which started in the morning when The Office was closed. No injuries were reported.
The two sides are due in court Aug. 13.