Cooking oil fueled a small fire in the Horsham Chinese Restaurant in the plaza anchored by Giant Friday evening. 

No one was injured and fire officials said damage was minimal. Because of food that may have been contaminated, Horsham Fire Marshal George Fida – who ruled the fire’s cause as accidental cooking - said the health department would shut the business down until everything was cleaned up.

The fire started soon after 7 p.m. at the eatery, which is located in the Horsham Point shopping center off of Horsham Road. It was extinguished within “minutes,” Horsham Fire Chief Tim Flanagan said on scene.

“The sprinkler held it in check,” Flanagan said. “It did what it was designed to do.”

After the fire was put out, fire officials gained entrance to two adjacent businesses within the plaza to make sure smoke and water damage had not spread through ceiling insulation. Officials said it had not.

Crews also took time soaking up oil that had mixed with water and seeped out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk and parking lot.

As fire crews canvassed the area, Kin Lam said the family was waiting to hear how much damage was done.

“I just saw the smoke,” Lam said, adding that he did not know what happened.

He translated for Paul Ho, the brother of the restraurant’s owner, who had been running the business at the time of the fire. Ho said the restaurant had been open for 11 or 12 years.