Damage could have been a lot worse, in an early morning fire at Highview restaurant in Southampton.
The Saugeen Shores Fire Department was called out around 6:15 AM Friday after a blaze started in a bathroom next to the kitchen area.
Fire Chief Phil Eagleson says the fire started sometime after Midnight and it consumed the contents of the room before burning through the ceiling.
The good news is the heat from the fire then melted a water supply line and the flow of water from it, contained and extinguished the fire — acting as an improvised sprinkler system.
When firefighters arrived, the blaze was already out.
The Highview restaurant is now closed and will remain closed until cleanup and restoration work has been completed — which is expected to take a few days.
No damage estimate is available at this time.
The cause of the fire is not suspicious and is currently under investigation.
Saugeen Shores Fire Chief Eagleson says all building owners should consider installing fire sprinklers — and this fire shows how well they work.
