Portsmouth KFC/Taco Bell kitchen fire contained; overheated fryer blamed

A kitchen fire at the KFC/Taco Bell combo on the 5000 block of George Washington Highway in Portsmouth was quickly contained Wednesday morning after investigators say overheated grease in a deep fryer started the blaze. The fire was under control within about 10 minutes, and "the fire was fully out by 10:29 a.m. No one was hurt."

Shortly after 10 a.m., Portsmouth Fire and Chesapeake Fire crews were called to the restaurant for reports of a fire inside the business. "When firefighters got there, they saw smoke coming from the building and found an active fire in the kitchen," and crews went inside the restaurant to extinguish the flames.

Responding companies focused the attack on the area of origin and were able to limit the blaze to the cooking equipment. "Officials say the flames were contained to the piece of equipment where the fire started," and firefighters entered the building and began extinguishing the fire until it was declared out at 10:29 a.m.

City fire officials and responding crews reported no injuries on scene. "No residents or firefighters were injured during the incident," and emergency personnel did not report any casualties related to the kitchen fire. There are no published figures on property loss or dollar estimates tied to the incident.

Investigators attributed the cause to overheated grease in a deep fryer. "Investigators say the fire was caused by overheated grease in a deep fryer," and the quick suppression limited the blaze to the single piece of equipment, preventing spread into the dining area or adjacent businesses.

Local accounts and social media posts captured the response but did not include an on-the-record statement from restaurant management about damage, hours, or staffing. There was no immediate information confirming whether the store closed for the remainder of the day or whether employees were displaced while crews worked. Fire officials and the restaurant operator remain the primary sources to confirm inspection results, damage estimates, and any operational impacts to the location on George Washington Highway.