Oven fire breaks out at Cosi

A fire broke out at the Cosi restaurant near 36th and Walnut streets Wednesday morning.

The fire was first reported at 9:14 a.m., according to a Penn Police officer on the scene. The restaurant smoked until firefighters had the fire under control at 9:39, Philadelphia Fire Department Executive Chief Richard Davison said. There were no injuries reported.

“There was a fire inside of the pizza oven that apparently was created somehow through flour,” Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. “The biggest problem was containing the smoke, and so the Philadelphia Fire Department, upon responding, had to vent the restaurant” by breaking second-floor windows.

“They were pretty successful in bringing it under control very quickly,” she added.

Cosi manager Nikki Michner declined to comment on the situation, citing company policy.

The Penn Bookstore and Furniture Lifestyle, on either side of the restaurant, were evacuated as a precaution. Patrons of the bookstore as well as construction workers were quickly allowed back in, Rush said. She added that contrary to previous reports from sources on the scene, the Inn at Penn did not require evacuation.

“Thankfully it was contained to Cosi,” Rush said. “There were no injuries to any employees or customers, and first responders ensured that safety was paramount.”

A remediation company is in the process of assessing the damage, and it was not immediately clear how long it will take for Cosi to reopen. The fire is also being investigated by the Fire Marshall’s Office, Davidson, the fire chief, said.

A man working at the farmers’ market stand in front of the bookstore saw the scene unfolding. “[There was] a bunch of smoke. People ran away,” he said. “People mindlessly taking pictures with their iPhones. Very banal.”

Debbie Anderson, a vendor for Big Sky Bread who also works in front of the bookstore, said she got to work shortly after the fire started. “When we pulled up, it was just smoking and all of these trucks just came,” she said. “There was about an hour delay in setting up the store, but we’ll be here until 6 so we hope to make up the business then.”

Sarah O’Connor, an employee at Urban Outfitters, which was not evacuated, noted that the power went out a few minutes before she noticed fire engines arriving. Rush said the power outage was unrelated to the fire.

Updated at 1:00 p.m. on July 17.

News Editor Harry Cooperman contributed reporting.

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