Owen Sound firefighters were able to knock down a blaze that caused significant damage to the kitchen area of the Yummy Yummy restaurant in the city's downtown before it spread too far into upstairs apartments or affected adjoining buildings, which contain both commercial and residential units.

“It could have been a whole lot worse,” Owen Sound Fire & Emergency Services Capt. Ken Lawrence said in an interview Sunday afternoon.

“With downtown buildings like that, if you don't aggressively get a good stop in place, you could lose a series of buildings.”

The building that houses the sushi restaurant is almost in the middle of a long row of adjoining two-storey brick buildings that line the south side of the 200 block of 10^th Street East.

Owen Sound Police Service Sgt. Tom Sullivan said the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but city firefighters had found nothing, as of Sunday afternoon, to suggest it was the result of foul play.

Three people, including a pair of Owen Sound police officers, were treated for smoke inhalation at hospital and then released, he said. No other injuries were reported.

Owen Sound police officers and firefighters, along with Grey County paramedics were called to the structure fire at 251 10^th St. E. just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Lawrence said firefighters arrived within minutes of getting the emergency call.

In all, 26 Owen Sound firefighters attended the blaze, he said. The Inter Township Fire Department was also notified to be on standby.

About 10 people had to be evacuated from the apartments above the restaurant.

Lawrence said the fire started in a rear storage room area that is at the back of the restaurant's kitchen. He said that part of the building suffered significant damage.

“We did have some extension up into the apartments and we had to open up walls and ceilings. We did have a lot of smoke damage. We have some fire damage upstairs but it was easily controlled and contained. We also had some fire damage on the roof as well,” he said.

Owen Sound Fire Chief Doug Barfoot said he estimates the structural damage to the building to be in the $75,000 to $100,000 range. The blaze also caused about $200,000 in content damage.

Tenants who were evacuated were able to use the Circle K convenience store across the street from 10^th Street East as a warming centre, Sullivan said.

Victim Services Bruce Grey Perth and the Canadian Red Cross assisted those affected by the fire.

Sullivan said all but one of the tenants would be able to return to their apartments later in the day Sunday.

The one tenant still displaced by the blaze made arrangements to stay with a friend until he can return home, Sullivan said.

Police shut down parts of 10^th Street and 3^rd Avenue East as firefighters battled the blaze. The streets were open again by 8:45 a.m.