Fire causes 'significant' damage at Maple Tree Restaurant in McFarland

MCFARLAND, Wis. — A fire at The Maple Tree Restaurant caused “significant” damage to the restaurant’s kitchen and roof, forcing the restaurant to shut down for an “unknown period” of time.

Fire officials with the McFarland Fire Department said they responded to the restaurant at the corner of U.S. Highway 51 and Burma Road around 5:20 p.m. after cooking staff realized they wouldn’t be able to put out the fire themselves. When fire crews arrived, they saw flames coming from the roof above the kitchen area.

The damage stretched beyond the kitchen and into the dining room, forcing the restaurant to close until repairs can be made. A damage estimate has not yet been made.

Several customers were inside when the fire broke out, but no one was injured.

The fire triggered a mutual aid box alarm response; crews with the McFarland, Stoughton, Madison, Cottage Grove, Oregon, Middleton, and Sun Prairie fire departments helped at the scene.

Firefighters had the blaze under control by roughly 6 p.m. but remained on scene until about 11 p.m.

Highway 51 was closed for roughly two hours and reopened around 8:35 p.m., according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.