A small grease fire broke out in the kitchen of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at around 1 P.M. this afternoon, forcing the evacuation of all patrons and staff from the building. Security guards led the evacuation immediately following the outbreak of the fire. The Philadelphia Fire Department was called to the building and extinguished what remained of the fire.
"There was no damage to any of the artwork," PMA Director Anne d'Harnoncourt said. She also commended the Philadelphia Fire Department for how they handled the situation. The museum reopened to the public around 2:30 PM. However all food services including the cafeteria and the museum restaurant were closed for the remainder of the day.
