Diners and staff at the Sonic Drive-In restaurant on the IH-35 access road in Cotulla were removed from the property Thursday evening, April 18, in a fire alert.
According to emergency responders reporting after the incident, evidence gathered to date indicates wiring in the thermostat of the restaurant’s food cooler may have caught fire, causing smoke in the kitchens and triggering a fire alarm.
Members of the La Salle Fire Rescue joined La Salle County sheriff’s deputies at the scene and ushered all of the restaurant staff to safety before trained personnel entered the building to examine possible sources of the fire.
Speaking on behalf of the fire brigade this week, Capt. Sean Wallace said firefighters used thermal imaging devices to detect hotspots in the building and were alerted to the wiring, where he said heat had caused plastic safety coating to melt.
“One employee experienced a minor injury to the hand,” Capt. Wallace said, “but everyone was evacuated safely.”
The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office reported that the business returned to normal operations the following day.
