What to Know
- It isn't clear when the Melrose Diner in South Philadelphia will reopen after a fire damaged the roof before opening Monday morning.
- The fire came almost three years to the day that the iconic South Philly diner previously caught fire in 2019.
- "At this time we do not have any time frame in how long the cleanup will take," management told NBC10.
The Melrose Diner briefly caught fire Monday morning closing the South Philadelphia icon.
Philadelphia firefighters responded to a fire at the diner at Passyunk and Snyder avenues and South 15th Street at 7:25 a.m. to find heavy smoke coming from the roof, a fire department spokesperson said.
Within 10 minutes, firefighters had the blaze under control, the fire department said.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
No injuries were reported and the fire happened shortly before the diner opens at 8 a.m.
"We discovered smoke just as we were about to open," Melrose Diner management told NBC10.
In a Monday morning Facebook post, the diner thanked "the men and women of Philadelphia Fire Department for their amazing work this morning." The "minor fire" was "confined to the roof," the diner said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
"We are working to reopen as quickly and safely as possible."
"At this time we do not have any time frame in how long the cleanup will take," management told NBC10.
Management said the fire may have started in a rooftop HVAC unit, but they wouldn't know for sure until the investigation is done. Firefighters could be seen on the roof of the building after the fire was out.
The fire marshal would determine a cause for the fire, the fire department said.
The Melrose diner suggested customers head up Broad Street to the Broad Street Diner, which has the same ownership, to get their diner fix while the Melrose is closed.
Monday's fire at the Melrose Diner came just a few weeks after the Philadelphia Inquirer's Michael Klein reported that diner ownership had obtained demolition permits for both the Melrose and Broad Street diners and that sources said the Melrose Diner could possibly be razed in favor of a taller structure.
This also wasn't the only fire at the Melrose Diner in recent years. The building was closed for several weeks after a fire nearly three years earlier to the day in July 2019.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
