Investigators from the Rescue Board's Northern Prefecture have determined that the fire started in the kitchen of the Georgian restaurant. It is likely the exhaust fan caught fire due to a malfunction.

At the same time, they have not completely ruled out the possibility that the fire was caused by a spark from a charcoal grill or hot smoke generated during cooking. The rapid spread of the fire to the roof of the building could, however, have been prevented.

The restaurant's charcoal grill exhaust pipe had not been properly serviced, causing the chimney to fill with soot and resin. The kitchen ventilation pipes were also covered with grease and showed signs of heat damage.

Once the soot, resin and grease in the exhaust fan ignited, the fire spread quickly through the ventilation system to the cornice and roof structure. Investigators believe the restaurant's ventilation system had not been properly maintained for several years.

"Regardless of which systems are installed in a building, they still require maintenance. We can never be completely protected from a small spark, but restaurant owners can do a lot to ensure that they remain localized and virtually harmless," said Aivar Kukk, head of safety supervision at the Rescue Board's Northern Prefecture.

"When dismantling the ventilation pipes in the fire-damaged area, the question arose as to whether it had ever been cleaned since installation. An unclean duct system can cause damage to the rest of the house, as was the case on that day," Kukk added.

The smoke caused by the fire damaged apartments in the same building, as well as the roof. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

On December 30 at 3:08 p.m., the Rescue Board received a report of a fire in the kitchen at the Georgian restaurant "Tbilisi" on Pikk tänav in Tallinn Old Town. The fire was extinguished by 6:52 p.m. that evening.

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