VIDEO: Fire at LongHorn Steakhouse in Strongsville

STRONGSVILLE , Ohio (WJW) — Firefighters have revealed the cause of an early Thursday, April 25, fire at the LongHorn Steakhouse in the SouthPark Mall plaza.

A passerby called dispatchers just before 7 a.m. to report seeing smoke, but no flames, outside the building, Strongsville Fire Chief Jack Draves wrote in a news release.

Fire crews who got to the scene minutes later confirmed a fire in the restaurant’s patio area. Firefighters and the building’s sprinklers “quickly” brought the fire under control, Draves wrote.

Fire damage was contained to the building’s exterior, he wrote. It also sustained some smoke and water damage.

The cause is believed to be smoking materials “improperly discarded” in some mulch. Firefighters believe it smoldered for hours before igniting a wooden support column on the patio.

“It is an important reminder to properly discard smoking materials,” Draves wrote. “Every year there are numerous damaging structure [fires] due to cigarettes in mulch.”

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