Fire damages Chinese restaurant near Holland

A kitchen fire closed a Chinese restaurant near Holland until further notice Thursday morning, authorities said.

The restaurant was unoccupied at the time. There were no injuries, according to the Springfield Township fire department.

Township fire crews arrived about 6:27 a.m. and saw smoke coming from the kitchen area of the New Empire Restaurant, 6540 Centers Dr. Firefighters found a small fire in the kitchen area and extinguished it by 7:30 a.m., at which time they left the scene, according to the township fire department.

The fire was contained in the kitchen, where it caused minor damage. There was considerable smoke damage throughout the building, firefighters said.

The restaurant was closed pending assessment by the city health authorities, according to the fire department.

The damage estimate was unavailable. The cause of the fire was under investigation.