SAVANNAH, Ga. – A restaurant owned by well-known Southern chef Paula Deen reopened for lunch Monday following a late-night fire.
Savannah Fire and Emergency Services Capt. Matt Stanley said firefighters responded to a blaze about 11 p.m. Sunday at The Lady & Sons eatery. No injuries were reported.
He said the blaze apparently started in a laundry bag full of linens and rags.
Stanley said investigators believe the rags had oils in them that broke down and generated their own heat, causing a spontaneous combustion.
He said the fire generated heavy smoke, but firefighters were able to pull the bag from the restaurant and no water had to be used to douse the blaze.
Contacted by telephone Monday morning, Deen's publicist, Nancy Assuncao, told The Associated Press the restaurant had reopened and planned to serve lunch.
"I think if we get one round of fried chicken goin' in here you won't smell the smoke at all," one of Deen's son, Jamie Deen, told the Savannah Morning News after the fire.
He rushed to the restaurant along with his mother, her husband, Michael Groover, and his brother, Bobby Deen, soon after the fire broke out.
Firefighters at first refused to let Paula Deen, who was wearing a robe and slippers, beyond the yellow security tape. She went under the tape and was quickly returned behind it. She was allowed to go through the tape when a firefighter recognized her.
Deen, 61, opened her downtown restaurant in 1996 and watched her popularity grow after her TV show, "Paula's Home Cooking," debuted on the Food Network in 2002.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.