Niles City and Niles Township authorities responded to a fire that started at approximately 1 p.m. Monday at the Kentucky Fried Chicken located at 1295 S. 11th St.

Four total unites were dispatched, in addition to a SMCAS ambulance.

According to Niles Fire Department Captain Don Wise, no one was injured. The approximately six employees that were working at the time acted quickly to get everyone out of the building.

The cause of the fire was a pressure fryer that Wise said had been brought into the restaurant that day. The fryer had been used before and was tested.

While employees were cooking that afternoon, fire flared from the bottom of the pressure fryer and spread up the unit.

Employees used a fire extinguisher, closed the fryer lid and evacuated with customers.

“They pretty much had it [the fire] out,” Wise said.

Authorities were on scene for about an hour. The fire flared once, but was fairly easy to extinguish, Wise said.

While smoke poured out of the back, east side of the building, employees and a few straggling customers huddled outside. The smell of burning grease filled the air.

“Most of the loss is going to be from loss of sales,” Wise said.

The building remained intact, but will have to be deep cleaned in order to become operational, Wise said. Smoke had spread throughout the building and authorities had to use a chemical to extinguish the fire. Wise said they did not yet know the cost of damage.

“It will have to be cleaned from head to toe and any food that was out must be thrown away,” Wise said.

The fryer unit sustained minor damage.

Authorities do not know at this time when the building will be up and running again.