Mena Fire Department Responds to Fire at Wendy’s

BY LEANN DILBECK

Mena Fire Department responded to a fire at Wendy’s on Hwy 71 North just after 10 p.m. last night.

Customers from Wendy’s, Baskin Robbins and Exxon were evacuated. Smoke was initially coming through to the inside but after investigation, the fire was found in a soffit at the front of the building near the Wendy’s sign, an area that has plagued the business before with another fire shortly after the building was built.

Mena Fire Chief John Puckett said that the area was packed with birds’ nests and created a lot of smoke but that the initial blaze was confined to an approximate 18” x 8” area.  Puckett explained that the area either overheated igniting the nests or the birds managed to break a wire off of bulb in the sign that ignited them.  “The damage was really very minor.”

There were no injuries and Exxon was able to re-open at approximately 11:40 p.m.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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