Yesterday morning in Mountain View, the Maison Alyzee restaurant, a fixture at 212 Castro Street, became the latest Silicon Valley eatery to succumb to an accidental fire that caused substantial damage to its premises. According to a social media post from the City of Mountain View Fire Department, firefighters received a call at 8:06 a.m. about smoke billowing from the restaurant. Thankfully, an employee on-site was able to self-evacuate before the crews arrived.
The response was swift; units were dispatched to the scene at the same time the 9-1-1 call was placed, and the first fire engine arrived by 8:12 a.m. Upon arrival, they found a sprinkler head in full flow and smoke emerging from the establishment. It took efforts to quickly stop the sprinkler from further soaking the interior and to clear out the burnt remnants of what once were chairs and tables. Firefighters went on to extensively overhaul the space to extinguish any lurking flames fully, their work a testament to their readiness to seamlessly handle emergency calls.
The aftermath of the fire presented a grim tally. The damages have been pegged at $100,000, according to the fire department, with pervasive smoke damage throughout, notably in the rear kitchen area. The likely culprit: a lithium-ion battery left charging unattended, causing a fire and the explosion of a CO2 cylinder housed in the same room.
Now, the restaurant must navigate the path to recovery, which involves repairs and the critical recertification of the facility. The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health has been engaged to work with Maison Alyzee's management to ensure that, once reopened, the restaurant can safely serve its patrons again. For now, the doors will remain closed until the county grants its official go-ahead. The fire department also made sure to replace the sprinkler head and recharge the system, part of their meticulous efforts to leave no stone unturned in ensuring public safety.
