April 23, 2008 11:47 pm

Cut and paste version of story Photos A singed bowl of crispy noodles sits on a table at the Szechuan East restaurant along Scalp Avenue in Richland Township on Wednesday. An overnight fire at the restaurant was extinguished when a large fish tank ruptured, dousing the flames. The Tribune-Democrat

Fish tank douses fire at shopping plaza

They may not have been the fish that saved Johnstown, but the untimely death of some ornamental koi Wednesday may have helped prevent a major fire at a local shopping plaza.

By RANDY GRIFFITH
CNHI News Service

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — They may not have been the fish that saved Johnstown, but the untimely death of some ornamental koi Wednesday may have helped prevent a major fire at a local shopping plaza.
An electrical fire in the Szechuan East restaurant apparently was extinguished when the 80-gallon fish tank ruptured, dousing the blaze.
“That was about as interesting as they come,” Assistant Chief Jason Ober said from Richland Township Fire Department.
“I believe the fish tank melted and put the fire out prior to our arrival,” Ober said.
Damage was confined to the Chinese restaurant. Other businesses in the Richland Shopping Center were unharmed and open for business Wednesday.
The fire started near the fish tank sometime overnight Tuesday, battalion Capt. Paul Ellsworth said. Investigators believe an electrical malfunction was to blame, perhaps associated with the aquarium’s system.
Flames spread up the wall, causing extensive smoke and fire damage throughout the popular eatery’s dining room, said Richard Garman, owner of the Richland Shopping Center.
Valley Dairy Restaurant employees arriving to open that eatery a few doors away called 911 after smelling smoke through the plaza’s ventilation system.
“They walked down the plaza and saw the windows blackened out in the Chinese restaurant,” Ellsworth said.
Richland firefighters responded but had nothing to do except investigate the cause.
“The fire was completely out when we got there,” Ellsworth said. “There was just a little smoke.”
David Stevens of Somerset was just leaving for work at the Christian Bookstore in the same plaza when he heard about the fire. A Richland dispatcher called to say his business and all others escaped damage.
“I said a prayer to the Lord and said ‘Thank you’ that it didn’t get any worse for the rest of us in the plaza,” Stevens said.

Randy Griffith writes for The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa.