At 9:36 AM, on Tuesday, June 3rd, the Bismarck Fire Department responded to investigate heavy brown smoke coming from the area of Republic Street in south Bismarck. Firefighters, who had been conducting public education in the area, sighted the smoke from approximately a block away. Upon investigation, they found heavy smoke coming from a chimney at Caffeine Central Inc., 1323 Republic Street, Bismarck. No fire was visible from the exterior.
Firefighters entered the building, which contained a coffee roasting business, and found heavy smoke present inside the shop. The fire was confined to the inside of the base, and chimney of the roaster. It had accumulated a substantial amount of chaff that had ignited from the heat of the roaster’s burner.
Employees were evacuated from the business, and firefighters extinguished the fire by removing the chimney and soaking the burning chaff inside the chimney and roaster. The roaster and chimney contained the extent of the fire damage. The business was ventilated to clear the remaining smoke.
Preliminary fire loss estimate to the roaster and product is estimated at $25,000. The cause of the fire was accidental. There were no injuries to either the employees of the business, or firefighters who responded.