Portland, OR – Lunchtime customers and employees of the Old Spaghetti Factory in Southwest Portland evacuated the popular restaurant Saturday afternoon after authorities discovered a carbon monoxide leak shortly after noon.
Two employees of the restaurant were treated on scene, said Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman AJ Schaffer, but did not need to be taken to a hospital.
A cooling unit had malfunctioned and threw off sparks, said Old Spaghetti Factory general manager Gary Sheperd. The restaurant staff called the fire department which attended to the unit and found the disabled unit was leaking carbon monoxide. Firefighters on the department’s hazardous materials response team used ventilation fans to remove the carbon monoxide from the building.
About 80 people were lunching at the restaurant at the time, Sheperd said. Most opted to go to the restaurant chain’s Clackamas County location where they received their meals for free, he said.