Fire Damages Red Onion Burgers in Mountlake Terrace

The Red Onion Burgers restaurant in Mountlake Terrace was damaged by fire Monday night.

A passer-by reported the fire around 9:05 p.m. at the restaurant in the 23200 block of 56th Ave. W.

(See a review of Red Onion published on Edmonds Patch last year.)

“The building was filled with smoke and flames were coming from the back portion of the building when the first fire engine arrived from Fire Station 19 located just a few blocks away,” said Leslie Hynes, public information officer for Snohomish County Fire District 1, which provides fire and emergency medical services for Mountlake Terrace.

The restaurant was closed for the night and no one was inside at the time of the fire. About 20 firefighters from Fire District 1 and the Lynnwood Fire Department responded and had the fire under control within about 15 minutes, Hynes said. No one was injured.

Most of the fire damage was in the kitchen around the duct work. Firefighters had to pull down portions of the kitchen ceiling to get to flames in the attic space. Investigators do not expect to know the cause of the fire or the dollar loss until at least midday Tuesday.

The restaurant will be unable to open until repairs can be made. Red Onion Burgers is owned and operated by Mountlake Terrace City Councilman Seaun Richards and his wife, LaRae.

The business sponsors many community activities including the annual Easter Egg Hunt and Shop With A Cop to help children at Christmas, and earlier this year raised funds for families displaced by a fire at the Taluswood Apartments in Mountlake Terrace.

A breast-cancer awareness event had been scheduled to take place at the restaurant on Tuesday.